Peace, Again
by ihavealife22
Summary: Have you ever wanted to submit a character of your own into a story like Bleach/Samurai Warriors? Based off of similar concepts, this story will allow you to create your own character via application. Will your character be accepted to fight for peace?
1. Introducing the Lords & Applications!

In a separate realm, Japan is divided into Kingdoms – Earth, Wind, Water and Ice, Fire, Lightening and Shadow. Each Kingdom is ruled by a powerful Lord or Lady with exceptional combat skills.

Years have passed since the peace treaty which was established in a war called the Millennium War but now, the new Lord of the Kingdom of Shadow is declaring war on each Kingdom in hopes to achieve his dream of a unified Japan under his rule in order to avenge his father's murder.

What I am asking of you is this, read the entire chapter and become familiar with each Lord/Lady. Your submitted/accepted characters will serve as mercenaries under the Lord/Lady of your choice. Of course, there will be romance, drama and overall action! So don't miss your chance to submit a character! The application will be at the bottom of this chapter, just to ensure that you have actually somewhat read it.

I will post the first chapter as soon as I have everything ready!** ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE SENT THROUGH A PRIVATE MESSAGE. REVIEWS WILL BE DELETED, AND NOT ACCEPTED!**

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><p>"Where is Lady Chiharu?" A young messenger frantically entered the stone palace, holding out a scrunched yellow scroll in her pale hand. "I have an urgent letter!"<p>

The royal guards looked at her in disgust, frowning at the dreary locks of brown hair sticking to her sweaty face and the dirt that marred her sickly, sullen cheeks. With their spears, they pointed to the doors that lead to the back of the castle. "In the garden, of course."

The messenger gulped, desperation refusing to leave her trembling eyes. "She's not going to like this… not one bit." Running to the heavy iron doors, she pushed them open to reveal a bright, flourishing garden – a stark contrast to the social conditions of the kingdom during the time. She swallowed her fear and stepped into the moist air of the princess's garden, being careful to avoid stepping on even the smallest of insect.

"What is it?" a flute-like voice rang through the leaves of the large trees that surrounded the young girl. "Haven't I told you already that you are not to bring political poison into this innocent haven?"

A petite woman dressed in a long brown kimono stepped out from the wall of exotic flowers. Her garment was lined with pink silk and silver flowers that were embroidered along the side of her robe. She approached the messenger with her hands tucked into her excessively long sleeves that reached her feet. Her hair was golden blonde and straight down to her shoulders while her bangs started short on both sides of her forehead, but tapered down to a point in the center of her face, stopping just above her large, deep brown eyes. But the strangest feature of all were the elf-like, pointed ears.

"Lady Chiharu, you don't understand—"

"The world is an ugly place, my dear," Chiharu interrupted. As she spoke, her small features refused to move, giving her a seemingly expressionless demeanour. "That is why this garden is so special… because it's the only place that makes me happy."

"Very well, my Lady," the messenger stood firmly before her strange lord. "But this is too important to wait. Please," she handed the scroll to Chiharu and stepped back instantly.  
>Chiharu's small, slender hands hesitantly tore the wax sealing off and slowly unravelled the crinkled paper. As her eyes scanned the writing on the page, they grew wider, and then closed completely until she threw it aside and turned from her frightened messenger. The symbol for 'Earth' that was printed on the back of her silk robe glistened in the sun as she walked away.<p>

"My Lady…"

"Like I said before," Chiharu whispered with disappointment. "The world is an ugly place." There was a moment of silence before the great ruler spoke once more. "If this war is to become a reality, there is no telling what kind of evils will manifest itself in our Kingdom of Earth. Am I right?"

"Well, yes…"

"And although war is unnecessary, we need to defend ourselves from certain evils that reside in the South." Chiharu began to disappear into her garden until the messenger could only assume her presence. "Tell my men to polish my bow and sharpen my arrows, child. Allow me to finish watering my precious ferns first."

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><p>"This is completely illogical!" An elderly man pounded his worn fist against the yellow scroll, rattling the legs of the wooden desk before him. He furrowed his large, thick black brows in frustration and tore off the large spectacles from his face. Rubbing the long scar that started at his left eyebrow and down to his chin, he gripped the dark, rough beard on his chin. A loose, cream coloured shirt covered his scrawny arms and a navy, war-like vest with proud gold buttons clung tightly to his weathered chest. On his legs he wore matching cream, baggy pants and brown sandals revealed his wrinkled toes. "Completely irrational and ludicrous!"<p>

He pulled a small, circular, blue paper fan from his pocket and held it by the polished wooden handle, staring at the golden symbol for 'wind' printed elegantly on its surface. Bringing it up to his angered face, he fanned himself cool and reached for a calligraphy brush and scrolls.

"Lord Tadashi?" A guard called from outside of the ancient study. "Please, pardon my asking, but is everything alright?"

After waiting for a few moments, the guard gulped at the silence and reached out to slide the door open. However, before he could, Load Tadashi thrust it aside and shoved a new scroll into his hands. "You, take this to the man who sent you that abominable scroll and tell him that the Kingdom of Wind refuses his selfish declaration!"

"I, but..."

"And tell him that I will not allow this land into a state of war unless there logical reasoning behind it! The winds of time has granted us such moral progression… there is no need to throw all these advancements away because of something insignificant that happened in the past. Do you understand me?"

The guard briskly nodded and bowed before the elder. "Right, my Lord."

Tadashi growled as he watched the man stumble away and out of the door to the Wind palace. "These children… calling themselves wise Lords and Ladies of their Kingdoms! I won't have it! I've lived too long and know too much to fall for their traps. Do you hear me!"

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><p>"Oh, Daichi!" a pretty maid giggled, fondling the buttons of her young lord's tight, white kimono-like shirt. "Do you really mean that?"<p>

"Anything for you, Kai," the eccentric man smirked handsomely. His skin was as pale as paper, but his eyes were the color of deep emeralds, decorated with bright red eye makeup and thick black eyeliner curving at the ends to form a mischievous cat-eye effect. He batted incredibly long, thick lashes and underneath his eyes were painted three, horizontally lined golden dots. His hair was jet black with red tips and it flowed down to his mid-back while straight bangs covered his entire forehead and fell short of his eyelashes. Lifting his bandaged arms, he caressed the young maid's face and ran his red-painted nails along her cheeks.

"My name isn't Kai," she blinked with genuine confusion and stood at the sound of vigorous knocking at the palace door.

"Where are you going, my pretty little flower?" he grinned, crossing his legs which were covered by black ninja pants and bandages up to his knees. "Your Lord commands you to stay a little longer—"

The palace doors burst open to reveal three enraged advisors, pushing past the promiscuous woman and looming over the careless lord who slouched in his golden throne. "Daichi!" A large man growled, holding out the yellow scroll before him. "Care to explain why something this important was tossed into the trash?"

Daichi raised a perfectly sculpted brow up and examined the document, scratching his cheek with guilt. "Well you see, I had a date with this beautiful creature." He winked at the maid and laughed heartily, tossing a grape into his mouth.

"Take her away," the same advisor growled. "Daichi, you are… unfortunately… the Lord of this Kingdom of Fire! You need to take your duties seriously. This is a declaration of war imposed on us by the Kingdom of Shadow!"

"And…" Daichi dusted off his hands and stood, cracking his knuckles. "Why should I care?"  
>"Unless you heed to the Shadow Lord's demands of a unified country, he's going to kill all of our citizens!" a quieter advisor shrieked.<p>

"Well, give them some guns then!" Daichi scoffed. "Or better yet," he continued into his satin-like voice. "Let's just listen to the scary man and unite!"

"They'll kill you too," the first advisor growled. "As your advisors, and your brain, we cannot agree to unification and therefore, you need to gather your strongest mercenaries and fight for the Fire's independence!"

"You're making it hard on yourselves, I'm telling you," Daichi shrugged. "I guess it doesn't matter though… as long as I don't have to fight."

Just then, three servants appeared through the door carrying an impressively long, doubled headed scythe. The staff was made of a type of black metal and the curved blades were crafted out of pure, red ruby. Before each blade, which curved in opposite directions, was a golden band that held tufts of fur to the staff. The men struggled to lift it towards their Lord, who took it from them with ease in one hand. "I haven't seen this thing in years," Daichi breathed with awe.

The aggressive advisor grabbed Daichi's golden pendant which read 'Fire' that hung from the Lord's neck and pulled his face towards his own. "Smarten up, Daichi. Or else you're going to throw not only this Kingdom, but others into chaos."

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><p>"Make way for Lady Kumiko!" an announcer cried out, pushing past the workers of the palace. "Move it!"<p>

A strikingly beautiful young woman walked through the crowd with hard, golden eyes and dark purple, serious brows. Her hair was the color of lavender and pulled back into a high ponytail which was held together by a long golden band, flowing down to her lower back and slightly curling near the end. She wore a mesh top with a tight, black breastplate covering her chest, as well as armoured, thigh-high boots. Her mesh top was long sleeved, covering most of her hands but hooking over her middle fingers with black rings. She walked with a proud demeanour and the symbol for 'Lightening' was tattooed behind her slender neck.

"Wait, my Lady! There has been a letter waiting for your return!" a messenger presented her with the yellow scroll, bowed his head, and scurried off.

"What's this?" Kumiko slammed her weapon down, a large, black, flat blade with two semi-circles carved out on each opposite side, and stroked the lion's head on the hilt of the enormous sword. Tearing the scroll open, she read the words on the page and frowned, anger shaking through her entire body and rattling her armour. "That fool! How dare he declare war on our Kingdom?"

"A war, my Lady?" the announcer gulped. "Why would anyone want to wage war against us?"

"Years ago, in the Millennium War, the Kingdom of Lightening and the Kingdom of Water and Ice were victorious against the Shadow and Wind. Now, the idiot who rules the Shadow is saying that it was unjust and that peace can only be achieved through unification of this country under his rule."

"But why attack the Fire and Earth? They had nothing to do with this…"

"He wants as many allies as he can get. A land cannot be unified without every Kingdom." Kumiko pried the large blade out of the ground and threw it against the wall once more. "That fool!"

"Lady Kumiko…"

"I need mercenaries," she hissed. "Round up my three best in this Kingdom!"

"But wouldn't it be wiser to try and—"

"Now!"

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><p>"Wind, Water, Fire, Earth, Lightening and Shadow… This is undoubtedly going to be even worse than the war my father fought." Lord Kurashin sighed and leaned against the railing, looking out at the sun setting over his peaceful Kingdom of Water and Ice. He closed his dark blue eyes and ran a strong hand through medium length, white hair that stuck out in every direction, framing his sharp bone structure and handsome face. Kurashin wore a humble outfit of a sleeveless, brown leather vest and dark blueblack pants that tucked into fitting, brown leather boots. His skin was tanned, and his arms perfectly toned while the symbol for 'Water' was scarred into his right, muscular arm.

He turned away from the high balcony of his palace and crossed his arms, smirking at the thought of every Kingdom's reaction to this unexpected declaration of war. Ever since he was appointed as the Lord of the Kingdom, he had taken copious amounts of time trying to maintain the peace that the Millennium War had established between lands. But with the recent death of the Shadow's former Lord, Kurashin found himself wondering what kind of character this new, presumably young, Lord really was.

"My Lord?" A soft female voice came from outside of his room. "What are the orders? I am here at your service."

"Right," Kurashin firmly nodded and fastened his two, long, straight-edged swords to his back. "There is no need for you to exert yourself. I will go out myself in search of strong warriors."

"But my Lord, it is my duty to assist you!"

Kurashin smiled and shook his head, tying his boots. "My orders are clear. Go and enjoy your evening. Tell my advisors and council not to panic… I'll be back by tomorrow around this time."

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><p>Name: (Japanese- First, Last)<br>Kingdom: (Chiharu of the Earth, Tadashi of the Wind, Daichi of the Fire, Kumiko of the Lightening, Kurashin of the Water and Ice)  
>Physical Appearance: (hair color, eye color, skin color, outfit, etc.)<br>Personality: (including habits, hobbies, beliefs, etc.)  
>Weapon: (please be CREATIVE! This will determine whether or not you get accepted. Ultimately, your weapon will incorporate the element you choose)<br>Character History: (please keep it brief)

*Only one character with an internal demon will be accepted, as well, try to refrain from having your character have a pet/creature unless it is necessary for combat)

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><p>ANTAGONIST APPLICATION (all characters submitted will be assumed as working for the Shadow Kingdom)<p>

Name: (Japanese- First, Last)  
>Kingdom: Shadow<br>Physical Appearance: (hair color, eye color, skin color, outfit, etc.)  
>Personality: (including habits, hobbies, beliefs, etc.)<br>Weapon: (please be CREATIVE! This will determine whether or not you get accepted. Members of the Shadow Kingdom are required weapons that allow them to manipulate shadows/darkness… again, be creative!)  
>Character History: (please keep it brief)<p> 


	2. Wind

**(a/n): Thanks to everyone who submitted characters! They were all incredibly unique and I fell in love with them. I am still waiting on a few people to message me back with the required changes, but I'm hoping that will be done soon!**

**Here are the ground rules. If you want updates, you're going to have to review. This story can only advance with your support! Let me know what you think at all times and if this story is interesting enough to continue. Thanks!**

**And if you have any questions, leave them in the reviews below and I'll try my best to clear them up in the following chapter. **

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><p>"The Shadow Lord ripped up your refusal paper, my Lord!" The guard faced Tadashi's unimpressed, wrinkled face with fear. He wiped the sweat under his guard helmet and gulped, lowering onto one knee and presenting a new scroll before the Wind Leader. "He wanted me to give you this—"<p>

Tadashi tore the document from the guard's shaking hands and grunted, pushing up his large spectacles up with an angry finger. Turning away from him, the old man walked up to the window and looked down at his peaceful Kingdom. "The Shadow Lord is nothing but an insolent child!" With fury, he opened the scroll and read it, sighing with disapproval and tossing it aside. "I have no choice then. No matter how illogical war seems, I cannot allow the Wind to come under the Shadow's foolish control. You," he turned the side of his wise face to glare at the guard. "Bring me a list of my three top mercenaries at once."

"I have it here already, my Lord!"

"Hmmm…" Tadashi grabbed the ink brush from his wooden desk and began vigorously scratching off names on the list. "All these warriors are far too weak!"

"Might I suggest… our Kingdom's three strongest fighters?" The guard pulled at his collar with a nervous gesture and swallowed the lump in his throat, licking his chapped lips.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Tell me!"

"There's Captain Eiji, my Lord…"

"You mean the loud, troublemaker of the seas?" Tadashi stroked his dark beard and narrowed his eyes at Eiji's name on the list. "He is strong, there is no doubt about it. But is he wise enough to handle a mission so important to the peace of our country?"

"I heard he lead thousands of ships on a mission to save the peasants years ago by himself… and he was just a small lad then. He may be obnoxious, but I think we of the Wind can all agree that he is best suited for the job."

"Who else do you have in mind?" Tadashi circled Eiji's name and sat cross legged on the floor before his wise guard.

"Well in contrast to Captain Eiji, there's young and wise Satoshi Hokkaido."

"Ah, I am rather fond of that young man. At 18 years of age, he knows more about every nation and Kingdom than the wisest of scholar. He'll do perfectly… if we can find him, of course. Smart choice! Now, for the last warrior?"

The guard took off his helmet and placed it on the ground, biting his lower lip anxiously. "Well…"

"Out with it!"

"Do you know of a girl named Rima Kado?" The guard smiled softly to himself and continued. "She's a cousin of mine."

Tadashi glanced at the list of warriors and grunted. "Her name is here alright, but what are her credentials? What makes her strong enough to fight for me, and this Kingdom?"

"Rima is powerful, my Lord. But she does not fight with anger, thrill, bloodlust or money. She fights for the peace of others." The guard closed his eyes and sighed with exhaustion. "She lost her father in the rebellion 5 years ago and has fought to keep her mother safe from harm and she fights so that others who are weaker than her… like me… don't have to."

"Sending a young girl out to war is not a rational thing to do."

"Yes, but she is as strong as any male, my Lord."

There was a moment of silence as the wind blew through Tadashi's large windows. "Then send the messenger birds," the old man ordered. "The fate of this kingdom depends on _your _choice of warriors."

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><p>"It's such a beautiful day for sailing," Eiji closed his eyes and breathed in the fresh morning, filling his lungs with clean air.<p>

He was a tall man with perfectly tanned skin and a beautifully sculpted body due to the fact that he had been sailing his entire life. The breeze ruffled his shaggy, shoulder length black hair, pushing it past his handsome and proud face. He wore a red pirate coat and baggy, black cloth pants stuffed into black leather boots. His coat opened to reveal his bare chest and around his waist was a red sash. Opening his brown eyes, he cracked his knuckles and turned towards the Wind Kingdom. "A beautiful day and I don't have anything to do…" he stroked the sword and small pistol at his waist and shrugged.

As Eiji walked through the village, the children of the Kingdom ran up to him and pretend fired with wooden guns and swords. "Look here, Captain! We're going to sail with you one day!"

Eiji laughed and ruffled their heads. "You're going to have to fatten up first. Look at you! You're as scrawny as seaweed!"

"Aye, Captain!"

He smiled brilliantly and caught sight of a familiar figure sitting in front of the Kingdom's library, reading a book as if it were the last on earth. Eiji smirked to himself and walked up towards the curious man, casting a dark shadow over the words. "Good morning, Satoshi!"

Satoshi Hokkaido frowned and looked up at the annoying nuisance and rolled his keen, hazel eyes. He had golden brown, wavy hair that was neatly clipped at the base of his neck and wore a tan trenchcoat, mahogany coloured boots, khaki trousers and an off-white, long sleeved tunic. He slowly shut the novel in his hands and reached for the newsboy cap and supple leather gloves that were placed neatly beside him. "Salutations, Captain."

"Why stick your nose in books on a day like this? Get up and smell the air, Satoshi! It's a fine day to go—"

"Sailing?" Satoshi lifted a brow up curiously and stood, dusting off his trench coat and placing the cap over his head. "If you ask me, the day is perfect for acquiring new knowledge. How can you live with yourself without learning at least one thing new a day?"

"Ah, you're a young fellow… how old are you again?"

"18," Satoshi grumbled, turning away from Eiji's hand that held his shoulder.

"There are far more valuable things to learn out _there_ than in _here_," he pointed to the book and laughed.

Just then, before the argument could continue, two white carrying pigeons landed on each of their shoulders.

"A message from Lord Tadashi?" Satoshi pulled the note off of the bird's small feet and opened it, reading it with a serious expression. "How can this be? A war?"

Eiji cracked with laughter. "Yes! At last, a notable adventure! Looks like you and I will be working on the same team from now on! Then I can show you that knowledge comes from experiencing near-death situations!"

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><p>"Rima! Rima! Are you home?" The guard from Tadashi's castle knocked on her small door with a hopeful look across his face. "Rima, this is serious! Let me in!"<p>

The thin wooden door finally slid open to reveal a frail, short girl with straight, dark brown hair that flowed a little past her shoulders. She blinked her dark blue eyes with a tinge of gold in them, blocking her face from the bright sun. Around her curvy body was a small white kimono, accenting her slightly tanned skin and on her feet were typical, high sandals. "Enzo? What are you doing here? Please, be quiet. Mother is sleeping and she is ill—"

Enzo placed his hands eagerly on her shoulders and grinned. "You've been chosen to fight as a leading mercenary for the Wind Kingdom in the upcoming war against the Shadow!"

She dropped her basket and gulped, staring into his frenzied, excited eyes. "I… have?"

"Why are you surprised, Rima? You're an excellent fighter! I personally nominated you!"

A look of anger and disappointment shot across her face. "You did, Enzo? How could you? I need to stay here and take care of mother! I don't need to fight… there are much stronger people out there in this Kingdom!"

"But none are as kind hearted as you, cousin." Enzo stepped back and sighed, handing her the note from Lord Tadashi. "He wants to meet you and your partners tonight… but you need to be completely sure that you're able to do this."

She walked past him and sat on the small bench in her front garden. "Enzo… if I fight in this war… you must promise me two things."

"Anything, Rima."

"First, promise me that no one but myself will get hurt in this war. I don't want anyone in this kingdom getting hurt because of a pointless war."

"I don't know if I can guarantee that, Rima. That depends on the success of you and your accomplices."

She nodded, swallowing the hard lump in her throat and walking over to a golden box hidden carefully under the soil of her flowers. "And as for the next promise… please take care of mother while I'm gone. You're right… I need to fight for the peace of this Kingdom but she's very ill."

"I promise," he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and watched her take the key that hung around her wrist to unlock the golden box. Inside were two large, black fans with white carvings of butterflies on them. He watched her grasp the fans in both hands as her knuckles turned pale. _I really hope I made the right choice in putting her name forward. _

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><p>"So you three are my Kingdom's greatest warriors?" Tadashi rose a thick brow up sceptically at the sight of the unimpressive display of people before him. "You're just a bunch of kids."<p>

"Technically sir," Satoshi coughed. "I'm 18 years of age which is legal here in—"

"I wasn't talking about you," Tadashi narrowed his cunning eyes at the overly anxious girl sitting before him. "You're my guard's cousin… Rima… am I correct? He's been boasting about you." He placed the end of his pipe against her head and scoffed. "You look no older than my granddaughter."

"I'm old enough to take care of myself, my Lord," she whispered.

"I talk with numbers," Tadashi frowned, crossing his arms. "How old are you, exactly?"

"20, sir."

Satoshi and Eiji who had been sipping on their tea, choked and each turned to face the shy girl.

"You mean to say…" Eiji chortled with suppressed laughter. "That Satoshi is the baby of our group then?"

"I may be younger in age, but you're the baby here in maturity!"

"Enough!" Tadashi slammed his pipe against the desk and sighed, rubbing the side of his wrinkled face. "I can't have three fools running around the country in the name of the Wind Kingdom. You are a disgrace!"

Outside, a wolf howled and the moon shone brightly, ominously illuminating the side of Tadashi's serious face.

"Please my Lord," Eiji straightened his back out and smiled warmly. "Tell us what we have to do."

The old man stood from the polished ground and groaned, rubbing his back and reaching for the small fan at his waist. Slowly, he started fanning himself, trying to cool the sweat that clung to his velvet-like flesh. "The Shadow Kingdom has declared war on every other Kingdom in this country."

"The Shadow," Satoshi nodded. "I heard that the recent ruler passed away and the throne has been handed down to his nephew, Lord Kurashin."

Tadashi nodded. "Neither I, or any of the other Lords have met this young Kurashin… but he is ambitious and proud beyond belief."

"I've heard rumours while I sailed through the Kingdom of Water and Ice," Eiji interjected, "that Lord Kurashin murdered his uncle in order to obtain the throne."

Tadashi stared into his eyes and slowly nodded. "If those rumours hold true than we have more reason to be careful. Kurashin is not happy with the peace that the Millennium War brought. He feels that his father was wronged and that this peace we have now is nothing more than a façade. His idea of peace is world dominance… a country unified under his rule."

"That's corrupt beyond belief," Rami muttered under her breath. "But why is he declaring war now of all times?"

Tadashi placed his ancient fan on the desk and crossed his fingers together. "That, my dear, remains a mystery. As a wise old man, I have a hunch that he has come across a formidable power and is confident enough to crush us." He turned to Eiji and frowned. "You, Captain, are known throughout this Kingdom and the entire country for being a loud, but successful leader. I'm placing you in charge of this squad… understood?"

Eiji removed his red pirate hat and bowed slightly. "It would be an honour, my Lord."

"I am not a one to send mercenaries to destroy the Shadow so soon," Tadashi continued. "That is why I have devised a plan that is logical, rational, and effective." He took out a crumpled map from the inside of his war vest and presented it to Satoshi. "You three are to travel to the Kingdom of Fire and talk to the Lord there about allying with us."

"My Lord," Satoshi raised his hand gently and frowned. "I've personally met the Lord of Fire… he's eccentric and foolish beyond reckoning. Are you sure that it is the right thing to do? Joining forces with the Kingdom of Water and Ice… or even of Earth would benefit us greatly."

"I know about that insolent Lord Daichi!" Tadashi growled. "And that is why I propose this to you. Daichi's advisors are wise, but no one can truly control the Lord's lust and immaturity. Here, take this scroll to him. It's a persuasive document listing all the reasons why joining us in this war is going to help him. I've written it in simple terms so that he will understand." He scoffed, handing it to Rami. "No matter how stupid Daichi may be, his forces are strong. If the Shadow manages to manipulate him before we do than…" he cleared his throat and nodded briskly. "I'm sure you understand."

"Yes, my Lord," the three asserted back.


	3. Fire

**(a/n): Thanks again to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! It made me feel great about starting this story! So, the same rules apply here to! review, review, review!**

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><p>"This Kingdom…" Rima brought a fragile hand to her mouth and bit her thumbnail anxiously as she surveyed the grimy, bitter faces of the civilians around her. They each stared at the three newcomers with suspicious eyes, holding their children back nervously. "How can the living conditions here be so horrid?"<p>

"The Kingdom of Fire is lead by Lord Daichi," Satoshi closed his eyes and shook his head disappointedly, holding his hands behind his back as he tried to look away from the uncomfortable glares. "He is very different from our Lord Tadashi. Daichi does not think for himself. Instead, he uses his power to satisfy his own lust and greed." He looked up from the ground to Eiji. "Surely you've heard of this, Captain."

Eiji slowly nodded, quietly placing his red pirate hat over his shaggy black hair. He reached into his coat and pulled out a small brown bag. "I can't stand seeing innocent people suffering because of one fool's mistakes." He started to hand out rusted gold coins to the children who ran by, smiling as he watched their young eyes twinkle with fascination.

"Look out!" Satoshi yelled, pulling out his weapon from his trench coat pocket which consisted of two metal bars attached by a short chain. He held each bar in both hands, blocking the random attack which came from a strange girl holding a heavy battle axe in her pale hands. Satoshi groaned with pain as the weight of the girl's weapon tore the muscles in his arms.

Captain Eiji pulled out his sword and rifle while Rima held her two black fans protectively in front of her small body. "What's the meaning of this?" Eiji muttered under his breath.

The attacker was a teenage girl with straight black hair, keen orange eyes and pale skin. She wore a black over shirt and a tan one underneath, with black sandals and a ruby necklace around her neck but most strikingly, she sported a red diamond tattoo between her eyebrows, in the center of her forehead. "Who are you three strangers?" the girl hissed, swinging her large weapon onto her shoulder. The axe was double- headed and incredibly sharp as the metal staff of the weapon glowed dimly of heat and at the handle were ancient writings which not even an intellect such as Satoshi could decipher.

"We come from the Kingdom of Wind," Eiji slowly explained, careful not to upset the quick tempered warrior. "We have something for your Lord."

"Lord Daichi?" the girl raised a dark eyebrow and scoffed. "As if he'd do anything about it…"

"Please," Rima coughed gently and smiled. "We didn't mean to alarm you. There were no guards at the port so we assumed it was customary for tourists to enter freely."

"Tourists, eh?" the girl smirked, twirling the axe in her hands. "Lord Daichi does not care for guards. Look at our Kingdom! Look at these people! So many criminals have barged in here, posing as tourists, and they've taken everything from us… leaving us to live like stray dogs. So I have taken the liberty of protecting these streets."

"That's very noble of you," Satoshi held out his sore arm to shake her hand. "Miss—"

"The name is Tora," she answered bitterly, refusing his kindness.

The villagers that had surrounded them in hopes for entertainment slowly started to walk away, realizing that their lives were to be boring and monotonous once again.

"I am Captain Eiji, and these are my partners Rima and Satoshi." Eiji held out the document and smiled, turning to point at a large, black castle in the distance. "We would appreciate it if you could guide us to your Lord. It's extremely important that he reads this as soon as possible."

Without saying another word, Tora twirled her battle axe in the air and caught it once more, cooling the weapon down. Briskly, she used her right shoulder to support it and started walking in the direction of the ominous castle.

Satoshi and Rima looked at one another with curious and slightly frightened expressions. What was wrong with the Kingdom of Fire?

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry but Lord Daichi is busy right now," a guard said sternly, holding out his staff defensively in front of Daichi's chamber doors. "He has commanded that all political matters be dealt with by his advisors."<p>

"You've got to be joking," Eiji scratched the back of his head and sighed. "There's no way of talking to him ourselves?"

The guard shook his head, frowning. "Whatever the Lord says, goes."

"Here's another idea," Tora narrowed her piercing orange eyes at the guard and held out her large weapon with one hand. "Let us through or I'll let myself in."

"Miss Tora, please!" Rima urged. "Violence is not the way to—"

But before the guard could even object, Tora's fire-hot blades had sliced perfectly through the guard's meagre staff and through the large oak doors that revealed the peaceful figure of Lord Daichi, sleeping in his rich silk gown in a fluffy bed beside the warmth of a large fireplace. "Unbelievable," Tora hissed, stomping into the Lord's room.

"Intruders!" the guard fell on his knees and blew a whistle. "Intruders, I say! Protect the young Lord at once!"

Daichi slowly lifted the sleep mask from his carefully decorated, grey eyes and licked his bright red lips. "What's all this noise? I thought I told the guard not to let anyone in here!" He stretched out his arms and pushed back his long black and red hair. At the sight of three unfamiliar faces, he raised a perfectly sculpted brow and sat up in his bed. "Who the heck are you?"

Eiji stepped up and presented the frivolous Lord with the scroll with the Wind seal on it. "We come from Lord Tadashi of the Wind with a proposition regarding an alliance with us against the Shadow in the upcoming war."

Yawning, Daichi took the paper in his hands and opened it, nonchalantly reading the well printed characters on the page. "Boring," he sighed, tossing it aside.

"My Lord, is everything alright?" The advisors ran in with an army of guards. "Shall we take care of these criminals?"

Daichi waved a hand in the air and frowned. "Go away," he simply said. "They're warriors from the Wind and they want me to join their old geaser of a Lord in the war."

"Please, respect our Lord Tadashi," Rima frowned, offended. "He truly wants to save our Kingdom, as well as yours."

Daichi burst out laughing, holding out a delicate hand in front of his twitching lips. "This? You call this a Kingdom? Have you been outside? Those mangy mutts of villagers are going to die of disease and poverty anyways. The war is only speeding up their deaths by a few years."

"Why you—" Tora struck her axe down against the Lord's bed, slicing the metal frame in exactly half. "You're the reason why our Kingdom is in ruins!"

Daichi scrambled back with surprise and stared at the angered girl. "For a pretty little thing, you're quite violent I must say." He finally swung both legs off the bed and stood before the Wind warriors. "If I don't agree to form an alliance with you," he smiled peculiarly at them, "then what would become of _me_?"

"That's obvious," Satoshi raised his eyebrows up and smirked. "The Shadow would crush your throne and take your power away from you."

The Lord immediately turned from them and grabbed a quill from his golden desk. "The old man wants me to gather my three strongest fighters? Then so be it." He signed the treaty and tucked the feather pen behind his ears. "But know this. _We _provide the fire and the Wind makes us stronger. Get in my way and I _will_ destroy you."

"My Lord!" the advisors cried in disbelief. "Are you sure about this?"

Daichi turned to Tora and placed his hand under her chin, forcing her to look up at his painted face. "You, girl, you seem pretty eager to die in battle. Why don't you fight for me?"

"I will fight, not for you, but for the people of this kingdom." She tore herself away from him and left, pushing past the advisors and guards.

"What about the other two warriors?" Captain Eiji interrupted. "We need to know who we'll be working with from now on."

Daichi shrugged and indulged in some wine instead. "I couldn't care less," he said, swallowing the liquid gold. "My advisors will take care of that for me. Now if you'll excuse me, my afternoon nap was rudely interrupted." He waved his hand in the air once more and watched the guards leave. "Take your cute little treaty back to the old man and leave me alone."

* * *

><p>Kaina Honoyubi looked at herself in the mirror, blinking her large amber eyes and combing her black hair with reddish-purple highlights. She brushed loose strands from her slightly tanned face and frowned, catching sight of a small black leather box on top of her dresser. Wearing a sleeveless, lavender coloured tunic and tight black pants tucked into tight black boots, she carefully arranged the red scarf over her shoulders and around her neck. Anxiously, she reached for the leather cloth that hung against the chair and strapped it around her waist. <em>I wonder if the rumours are true… is there really going to be a war? <em>

She closed her eyes, stroking the soft material of the black box and remembering the first time she had seen Lord Daichi. Of course, she was nothing more than a little girl then… but now her ambitions were clear. War was the perfect opportunity to prove herself to him so that one day he may choose her to be his personal guard.

Just then, there was an abrupt knocking at her door, causing her to quickly lift the leather at her waist up higher to cover her chest. Taking the closest piece of cloth, she tied her hair back and pinned it carefully, making it seem as though she had messy hair that framed her face. She cleared her throat, lowering her voice an octave and pulled a large brown shirt above her lavender tunic. "Come in," she finally managed to say.

"Honoyubi!" a Fire guard walked in and handed her a red scroll. "You have been chosen as a lead mercenary in the upcoming war against the Shadow."

"I have?" Kaina startled herself and lowered her voice once more. "I mean, I have?"

The guard looked at her inquisitively and nodded. "You are the youngest boy to have proven yourself worthy of such an honour. Lord Daichi needs your help."

Kaina held the scroll tightly in her sweaty hands and gulped. _He finally recognized my talents! _"Of course," she answered in a low, more confident voice. "That's what young men do! Prove our strengths and climb higher in rank, right?"

The guard laughed. "Atta boy, you'll be just fine." To Kaina's relief, he turned to leave, but suddenly stopped and turned around. "You know, Honoyubi, you're a strange fellow."

"How so?"

"I can't quite put my finger on it," the guard frowned. "I've never seen a warrior so agile and wise before. You have the strength of a man alright, but your cunning is that of a woman."

She let out three nervous laughs and scratched the back of her pinned hair. "I get it from my mother, I guess!"

"Right," the guard tipped the end of his helmet and turned to leave once again. "Make sure those claws of yours are sharp. You're heading out in a few days, got that?"

"Yes, sir!" Kaina stood still until she was sure he had left. Finally breathing, she lowered the leather against her breasts and pulled out the pins in her hair, tying her hair into a neat ponytail and pressing her full bangs down against her face once more. "That was too close…" she finally opened the black box to reveal ten metal claws that were meant to be worn on her fingertips. She placed them on her fingers and held them out in front of the sunlight, looking sadly at her ancient weapons. "A girl cannot be a guard, let alone an adequate warrior," she repeated the words that had been etched into her memory forever. "If deceit is the only way to practice my clan's fire-finger fighting style, then I have no other choice."

* * *

><p><em>I don't think I've ever seen those three before… <em>A man with long, straight brown hair sat on the village bench and crossed his fingers against his chin, watching the strangers carefully with deep brown eyes. Like most people of the Fire Kingdom, he too had slightly tanned skin and he wore a short sleeved blue jacket with yellow dots printed on them over a plain white shirt. His pants were made of white cloth and tied with a light blue sash around his waist. On his feet were sandals with black tabi socks as he played with the blue wristbands around each arm.

He watched them with amusement, focusing mainly on the large pirate-like man bicker with the other young man in the trench coat. _They don't look like Fire people… _He turned his gaze upon the small framed woman who was with them and slightly blushed. _And she looks like a fairy… so delicate and pretty. _

"Is there a reason why you've been staring at us like that?" Captain Eiji walked up to the spectator and crossed his arms, smiling. "Or are you just checking our friend Rami out?"

"Captain, please!" Rami blushed, turning away from the men and fanning herself with her hands. "Do not be so inappropriate!"

"I'm sorry," the man apologized, standing and looking back at the blacksmith's shop he was sitting in front of. "I was just trying to pass time while I waited for my weapon to be finished being repaired."

"Weapon, you say?" Eiji nudged him and laughed. "So that must mean you're a warrior, right?"

"What else could it mean," Satoshi muttered under his breath.

"A warrior?" the man blinked his brown eyes and smirked. "I guess so…" Just on cue, the blacksmith came out of his crammed shop, wiping the sweat from his sticky brow with the end of a towel that hung over his shoulders. "Here you are Mr. Kazari, your trident is as good as new!"

The weapon was indeed a trident, but it had bladed edges instead of pointed ones. The staff was made of polished red wood and sturdy, reinforced with the best steel in the core. The man took it from the blacksmith and held it up, examining the three blades at the top which were gently carved as if they were the talons of a bird with the weapon's guard was oddly in the shape of a phoenix. "Thank you sir, this is fine work." He placed three gold coins in the worker's hand and turned to leave the three strangers he had never intended to start a conversation with.

"Wait, hold it!" Eiji tapped the man's shoulder and laughed heartily. "That's an impressive piece you've got there. Why don't you try it out?"

"What is he doing now?" Satoshi rolled his eyes and rubbed his temples. "Captain, with all due respect, I think this gentleman would like to be left alone."

"I'm sorry," the man placed the end of the trident down and placed a hand under his chin calmly. "Just who are you three?"

"Warriors from the Wind," Eiji proudly said. "Now it's your turn. What's your name?"

The blacksmith bit into the gold coin and began to boast. "You three must be strangers if you don't know Ryuusei Kazari! He's our Kingdom's finest fighter!"

"I wouldn't say that," Ryuusei nervously scratched the back of his neck. But before he knew it, Eiji had already drawn his sword and attacked.

"Satoshi! Make this stop! What is the Captain doing?" Rima pulled on Satoshi's sleeve and watched as the man called Ryuusei managed to block the attack using the blades of his trident. And, with incredible speed and force, he twisted the staff and stepped on the red wood of the weapon, forcing the sword out of Eiji's hand.

"Impressive," Eiji stroked his chin, satisfied.

"I see now," Satoshi sighed. "Don't worry Rima, the Captain isn't as crazy as he makes himself seem."

"What's the meaning of this?" Ryuusei held his trident out defensively now. "I thought you were warriors of the Wind Kingdom."

"We are," Satoshi briskly nodded and stepped forward. "We just came from Lord Daichi's in search of an exceptional mercenary to lead the Fire Kingdom in the near war against the Shadow."

"So the rumours are true then," Ryuusei immediately understood and lowered his arm. "Was there really no better way to ask me to fight than to attack me?"

"Where's the fun in that!" Eiji roared with laughter. "Welcome to the team, Ryuusei! Get ready to embark on the adventure of your life... that is if Tora doesn't kill you first..."

Ryuusei's eyes bulged out of his head. "Wait, I never agreed to—"

"Please Mr. Kazari," Rima smiled and held out her hand for him to shake. "You're skills are going to save a lot of lives."

"I… well… uh, you see… when you say it like that…" his face flushed pink as he quickly shook Rima's smooth fingers. "Alright, fine."


	4. Earth

Sirens roared throughout the Earth Kingdom as civilians were escorted underground for safety. Screams of terror and pain filled the usually peaceful streets, followed by satisfied growls that came from the zombie-like soldiers that came from the Shadow.

_How can this be happening? I thought war was just a rumour? Could it really be starting so soon? _A girl with long, aqua coloured hair ran barefoot on top of the rooftops, pulling random flowers that had been placed all over her hair. Her loose, flowing blue halter dress clung to her petite frame as she leapt from house to house, revealing her slender thighs.

Just then, her large, innocent pink eyes averted to the moving shadows that had been cast by the leaves of tall trees. And just as she had anticipated, they morphed into Shadow guards that growled and began to approach her at impressive speeds.

"I don't think so!" the girl grunted, transforming the daisies she had pulled into large shuriken. With two strong swipes of her bare arms, the weapons sliced through the soldiers' empty eye sockets, causing them to disintegrate.

"Mika!" a male voice came from down below. "Is that you?"

Mika placed the remaining daisies into her hair and jumped down from the roof to see the familiar face of her childhood friend, Shu Yamamoto.

He was a boy with crazy black hair that pointed in every direction, followed by a long, thin ponytail that rested against his back and around his mane of hair was a headband with the symbol for "Number 1" on the side. His outfit consisted of a red jacket with a video game controller on the back and plain blue jeans and strangely enough, leaning against his shoulder was a long fishing pole. "Are you alright?" he asked, blinking his brown eyes behind glasses and smiling at her.

She silently nodded, never taking her eyes away from the looming shadows that surrounded them. "What do you think is happening?"

"Shadow punks trying to disrupt the peace we already have," Shu shrugged, guiding her towards a safe alley. "My question is, where in the world is Lady Chiharu? Tending to her garden at a time like this?"

"Shu, don't say such things! Lady Chiharu may have odd habits but she is wise and strong."

"Whatever," he shrugged, poking his head out of the brick wall and observing the bloodshed happening right under his nose. Suddenly, at the sight of a large man wearing an open bear fur vest and matching loincloth and boots with a horned helmet on top of his long brown hair, Shu's expression turned that from slight boredom to sheer awe. He watched the strange warrior slam his large battle axe down against the ground, sending seismic waves across the Kingdom and throwing the Shadow soldiers falling into the depths of the earth. Then, using the other side of the hammer that resembled an axe, the man let out an impressive battle cry and sliced through the remaining survivors. "Mika, did you see that?" he let our an excited gasp and pulled her shoulder. "He's coming this way!"

The Viking-like warrior approached the two hiding in the corner and raised a thick brow up curiously, staring into their trembling eyes with his own icy blue ones. "What are you two doing here? Can't you see there's a Kingdom to protect?"

"Look out, sir!" Shu cried, taking his fishing pole and throwing the line past him. With great skill and concentration, the hook on the end of the nearly invisible string caught on one Shadow soldier's armour and using nothing but his pure strength he brought the villain against the nearest wall.

"Better," the Viking man nodded with approval. "Not bad, kid."

"The name is Shu Yamamoto! And this is my friend Mika Kimura! It's an honour to finally meet you, Mr. Gin Sadamitsu!"

Mika gulped and shyly bowed her head before the intimidating soldier, trying not to stare at the prominent criss-crossing scar in the center of his muscular chest.

Gin smirked and turned from the two. "So you know who I am?"

"You're the Earth's greatest warrior!" Shu grinned widely. "And I can't believe I just got to witness you in action!"

"Save that for later, kid. You and your little friend are capable of making a difference. Use your skills and fight!" With that, he leapt onto a damaged cement block and onto the roof, disappearing into the dimly lit night.

* * *

><p>"This is getting too out of hand!" an Earth soldier drove his straight sword into the nearest Shadow creature and wiped the blood on the corpse's clothes. "They keep appearing from the shadows! As long as there's light, they'll always appear!"<p>

Mika transformed two roses into katanas and aided the struggling guard. Then, tearing a chrysanthemum from her bright blue locks, she transformed them into small bombs, tossing them accurately at the enemy.

"This is so ludicrous!" Shu growled, using his razor ship fishing line to bind three soldiers together. With a strong tug, the string cleanly sliced them in half.

Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet began to rumble slightly and bells could be heard twinkling above them. "Could it be?" the guard looked hopefully up at the dark sky to see Lady Chiharu's small figure glowing brightly like a star.

"I suggest everyone find somewhere to hide," she calmly said, her expression never changing. Taking an arrow from her back, she carefully positioned it onto her large stone bow and shot it up at the sky. "Scatter," she whispered, watching as the single arrow broke off into thousands of smaller stone splinters.

"Take cover!" the guards yelled, avoiding the rainfall of Lady Chiharu's strange powers.

Mika and Shu watched with amazement as everything the arrows struck turned to stone as well and soon the Kingdom looked like a museum displaying countless Shadow guard statues. Chiharu finally drifted onto the ground and taking her bow, she stabbed it into the soft earth, sending out vibrations that shattered the horrific monuments into dust.

"My Lady!" a guard ran to her and kissed her feet. "You saved us!"

"I sensed a difference in the air," she said softly, turning to the stunned figures Shu and Mika. "You two, follow me."

* * *

><p>Chiharu sat on the ground, placing her weapons down beside her and lighting the candles in front of her with a long match. Her deep brown eyes watched the flickering of the fire and waited for Shu and Mika to find a spot beside the Viking man, Gin, they had met earlier. "I'm sure you're wondering why you're here," she finally said, taking out a map with her delicate hands.<p>

Mika played with her fingers on her lap and nervously shuffled towards Shu. "Is it… because of what happened tonight?" she bit her tongue and turned away from the beautiful elf-like face of her Lord.

"I didn't expect the Shadow to attack us so soon," Chiharu said. "I have reason to believe that it was Lord Kurashin's way of warning us of what is to come."

"My Lady," Gin interrupted sternly, "why would he bother with a warning anyways?"

"Not necessarily a warning, perhaps," she continued, "but a threat." She sighed and closed her eyes, longing to see her garden. "This war is nothing but a feud regarding what happened in the Millennium War years ago. The Earth Kingdom was fortunately uninvolved back then… Kurashin is probably threatening us to join him in this upcoming battle against the Fire, Wing, Lightening and Water." There was a moment of silence as Chiharu hid her hands in the enormous sleeves of her robe in deep contemplation. "But perhaps…"

"My Lady, you don't honestly believe—" Gin started

"Silence, child," she frowned, shaking her head slightly. "I have been thinking about it ever since the declaration of war was presented to me. The world is an ugly place, my dears. Take a look around… what really _is _peace anyways?"

"I just don't understand why people are always trying to change things!" Shu suddenly shouted in exasperation. "I like the way things are now… I thought the whole point of the Millennium War was to establish this peace!"

"At first I wondered if joining the Shadow could protect us temporarily," Chiharu breathed. "At least Kurashin couldn't terminate us if we helped him. But after tonight I thought… why subject ourselves to such evil? The Shadow is wrong in assuming that they are the superior Kingdom, but there is another place where evil lurks."

"What do you mean, my Lady?" Gin crossed his arms sternly. "Another evil other than the Shadow that we must extinguish?"

"I hate war and violence," Chiharu said, "but extinguish is right. The Kingdom of Fire is a spark that could ignite a flame strong enough to hurt us. Lord Daichi is incredibly naïve, but he is strong and so are his warriors. Abusing his power has turned him into a tyrant and although I have faith in Lord Tadashi of the Wind who has recently allied with Daichi in order to keep an eye on him, I know that Daichi's insolence will inevitably prevail."

"And… if it does…?" Mika gulped.

"Lord Kurashin is seemingly wise," Chiharu acknowledged. "And unfortunately Daichi is a ripe target. We must destroy Daichi and what is left of the Fire Kingdom. They are useless to us in this war, and far too valuable for the Shadow."

"I thought you hated war," Shu smirked, gripping his fishing pole harder in his hands now.

"Do not question my morality, child," Chiharu's expressionless face flushed with anger. "Like I said before, the world is ugly and filled with demons. I am merely building the foundation for a more peaceful country by eliminating a potential threat."

"So what do you want us to do, then?" Gin asked.

"Assassinate Lord Daichi," she said coldly. "And destroy any Fire warriors that get in your way. I am merely doing this in order to protect _my _people." She watched her three fighters stand to leave, but stopped them one more. "But whatever you do, do not anger Lord Tadashi of the Wind. The Wind is powerful, far beyond any other Kingdom. I will personally speak to him about getting rid of the Fire before it's too late. And another thing, my children. Be safe. I do not want to see your corpses rotting on the ugly earth outside of this Kingdom."

* * *

><p>"I feel sick," Mika swallowed and fanned her pale green face as she sat in the large ship and watched Shu happily fish.<p>

"Don't be such a baby," Shu grinned, leaning back peacefully. "The sea is a great place to relax! But hey, I was wondering, what are you going to do about your flowers? You can't fight without flowers, right?"

Mika slowly nodded and pulled out a shrivelled rose from her hair. "Sea water isn't good for them… and wilting flowers make for dull weapons."

"There are plenty of flowers outside the Kingdom of Fire," Gin said, steering the large ship. "We're going to have to walk a few days to get there anyways. You have a lot of time to recollect what you need."

She blushed and turned away from his strong voice, still uncomfortable with the muscular man. "Thank you," she managed to choke out.

"This is the life!" Shu laughed, throwing his hands back against his head. "Just my best friend, my hero and my wonderful self sailing the high seas!"

"Don't get too excited, little runt," Gin pulled a rope and changed the sail direction. "We're on a mission here, no matter how wrong it is."

"Wrong?" Mika looked up at him and bunched her knees against her chest. "What do you mean, wrong? Aren't your loyalties to Lady Chiharu?"

"Of course they are!" he growled, tugging harder. "If it weren't for my loyalties, I wouldn't even be here."

"I don't understand…" Mika whispered.

"You kids are too young to understand anything right now but destroying the Kingdom of Fire will only create more problems. But if Lady Chiharu wills it, then so be it." With a final grunt, he tied the massive rope to the hook on deck and walked away, disappearing into the ship's cabin.

* * *

><p><strong>(an): again, thanks to everyone who reviewed! It is much appreciated. Oh, and also, I understand if this chapter slightly confused you. Let me know what you think!**


	5. Lightening

"Watch where you're going, kid," a villager frowned, shrugging his shoulder and bitterly continuing on his way through the pouring rain.

But before the boy could turn to apologize, the man was already gone amongst the thick fog. He looked up at the grey sky as sharp purple reflections of lightening shot across his golden eyes. The rain had been falling ever since Lady Kumiko had received word of war and because of her fierce temper, many had to suffer through endless thunder storms. The warm droplets splashed across the boy's pale face and soaked into his long black hair that was tied back with a silver band.

"Akito! Get out of the rain already! You'll catch cold, and besides, I have another favour to ask of you!" A middle aged woman beckoned him with her hand, inviting him inside her dark home.

Akito straightened his head out, flattening his full bangs with his hands which were covered with dark grey gloves. He was a handsome young adult, wearing a simple outfit of a dark grey shirt and pants and matching sandals which were reinforced with silver armour. His forearms, shins and chest were also plated with the same silver. "What is it?" he looked around and immediately noticed the shivering children huddled in the corner.

"I ran out of matches," the woman explained. "Do you think you could—"

Akito nodded and bent over the cold, black logs and removing one of his gloves, placed his hand over the dry wood. The children watched with amazement as sparks ignited from his fingertips until a small fire had formed. "This should keep you warm until the morning," he said, slowly placing the glove over his fingers again – but his eyes never left the flickering of the flames.

"Thank you, child," the woman sighed with relief and handed Akito a bowl of soup. "Here, I know you don't get hot meals regularly so I prepared this for you."

He swallowed the lump in his throat and took the offer, sitting himself beside the fascinated children and spooning the food into his mouth vigorously.

"Mister," a little girl pulled on his shirt and stared at his hands. "Why can you do that? Aren't you a Lightening person?"

"Chizo, quiet!" the mother scolded. "Akito, I'm sorry—"

He kindly smiled and placed the empty bowl and spoon on the table. With a slight bow of his head, he thanked her for supper and walked out of the small home and into the rain.

* * *

><p>"What on earth does he think he's doing now?" A girl with flowing blonde hair down to her waist frowned and stared up at the crouched figure sitting on Lord Kumiko's high windowsill. She rolled her deep purple eyes and shoved the remaining sweet dumplings into her mouth, straightening out her tight, white school-girl uniform. "Hey, Kanou!" Having just been ignored by the strange boy, she pouted and lifted her left hand which held a floating, multi-coloured sphere. "This will get his attention," she smirked and threw it gently in the air, watching sparkling mist emanate from the glass orb. And, with a bright flash, a large streak of lightening flew from the sphere and struck the wall right beside the boy above.<p>

He flew off of the windowsill and landed before her, his hood covering his face and his dark cape-like robe floating gently down around him. "What now, Rai?" he looked up at her with a scorn, glaring at her with big, onyx black eyes. His hair was shaggy and dark blue, pressed underneath his hood and was a stark contrast to his snow-white skin.

"Quit stalking Lady Kumiko," she shrugged, satisfied with his angered expression.

The boy named Kanou stood to reveal his outfit of a tight, black leather shirt that crossed at his chest and ornate with dangling silver chains. His pants were dark and baggy, tucked into bandages at his angles and more white bandages near his waist. "The Kingdom is near flooded with Lady Kumiko's rage," he said, gripping the handle of his strange double-sawed weapon. It was made of deep red wood, while the blades were rusted gold and side by side, held together by a rectangular handle.

"So?" Rai flicked her blonde hair out of her pretty face and smiled. "That's her problem."

"For a warrior of your ability, you should be more careful with your powers. You could have nearly killed me up there." He looked up at the blackened stone near the window he was sitting at and shook his head in disappointment.

"I never miss," Rai nibbled on a piece of candy and turned away from him, stopping before she could completely walk away. "I wanted to ask you something though. I know you and I were both chosen to fight in this war for the Lightening… but who was the Lord's third choice?"

Kanou frowned and removed the hood from his head, revealing his solemn, attractive face. "Come to think of it, I don't know. But I'm sure whoever it is, Lady Kumiko made the right choice."

"Right," Rai nodded, turning her face to the side to look at the strict, handsome young man. "But I really hope it's not that guy…"

"Which?" Kanou leapt back onto a stony ledge in order to reach the windowsill once more. "I'm not surprised you have enemies…"

"Shut it!" Rai hissed, stepping back and watching him climb. "You know the one… the one with fire in his blood?"

Kanou stopped climbing for a moment as his muscles grew tense. "Akito is his name."

"Yeah, that's the one! Ugh, I hate him. I just don't get him! He's filthy and homeless… not to mention his questionable family roots." Rai stomped her foot and shook her head once more. "The chances of him being on our team are high though."

Kanou slid down from the wall and walked up to her once more. "Why is that?"

"Because he's Lady Kumiko's favourite, don't you know?"

"Well," Kanou placed his weapon on his belt and began walking away from the castle. "As long as he doesn't cause any trouble."

* * *

><p>Akito held his beautiful staff with both hands, stroking the smooth black metal of its body until he came to the end where an encaged, curious globe made of twisted black metal was perched. Bringing the staff above his head, he started to vigorously train, sending out explosions of electricity and fire from the faintly glowing globe.<p>

_Doesn't belong here… _

He struck the nearest tree, smashing the bark into millions of rough pieces.

_Confused and unwanted… send him away! He belongs with the Fire creatures!_

Akito brought the staff down into the ground, separating small sections of the earth with powerful bursts of lightening.

"Akito Yamane!" A strong, feminine voice boomed from behind him, as well as the distant roaring of enraged thunder.

He breathed and slowly turned to see the disappointed face of his Lord, Kumiko. She stood wearing her shining black armour and her lavender hair soaked with hot rain. "My Lady," he whispered, standing stiff before her beautiful figure. "I'm sorry if I disturbed the Kingdom—"

"What do you think you're doing, child?" she crossed her arms and walked up towards him, taking the staff from his hands. "I respect your willingness to train, but do not vandalize my Kingdom!"

"I'm sorry," he bowed slightly and heard her sigh. "I just want to be ready for the war, that's all."

"Akito, sit down." She placed herself on the grassy hill and stared up at the misty sky, and for once, the rain had ceased. "You need to understand something." He did as he was told and placed the staff between his knees, hugging it and leaning his cheek against the cold metal. "You are a valuable asset to me in this war. Your fire powers are going to prove to be much useful later in your life when you—"

He looked at her with inquisitive eyes and nodded. "Yes, my Lady?"

"There are many rumours circling around lately," she continued in her sultry, yet stern voice. "Chiharu of the Earth has sent her mercenaries to kill Lord Daichi."

He blinked and scratched his head. "Lord Daichi? I hear he's corrupt anyways… is what Lady Chiharu doing right?"

"It may be… but I cannot allow it."

"My Lady…"

"Lord Daichi… is after something else. I know him very well, Akito. He may act like a fool but he knows that this war will be the end of him and his power."

"But why are you telling me this?"

"I…" Kumiko froze for a moment and hesitated before opening her mouth to speak again. "We of the Lightening are a proud nation… but unfortunately, we are trapped in Daichi's foolish, selfish hands. Now that the Earth are after him, we need to protect him, as well as the Fire Nation… even if it means destroying the Earth."

"But why save such a terrible leader?" Akito asked. "Can't we let him fend for himself? He has done nothing to benefit his Kingdom. He doesn't deserve our help!"

"Because Lord Daichi is after you!" Her hard eyes melted at the sight of his helpless confusion. "He is your older brother."

There was a brief moment of silence before the sound of Akito licking his lips broke the tension. "15 years ago, he tried to kill you in order to ensure that the throne would be his… but he didn't have the courage. He couldn't murder a sweet 3 year old and so he left you to die on your own. That's when you were found here and I didn't know until—"

"Stop it!" Akito stood and covered his ears, tears streaming down his face. "I lived my entire life, thinking my abandonment was a mistake. I bore the gossip, the names, the taunting of my mysterious past with the hope that my family loved me at one point!"

"Akito!"

"No," he hissed. "I don't believe you. Why would he want me back now? After 15 years?"

"Daichi knows what Chiharu is planning. He wants you to take his role as Lord of the Fire Kingdom so that he can dodge the blame. Chiharu's claim is that the Lord of the Fire must be eliminated… but if that Lord is you… then Daichi won't have to die!"

He began to walk away from her until the sound of her desperate voice grabbed hold of him.

"I want to protect you, Akito. Which is why I'm sending you, Rai and Kanou to protect the Fire from the Earth. If we defeat the Earth before they can touch Daichi, then nothing will have to change. You won't have to bear the burden of Daichi's mistakes and you can live! Listen to me, child. I'm doing what is best for you, for the Lightening Kingdom, and for the Fire!"

"I refuse to fight for the sake of _him_," Akito muttered. And slowly, he disappeared behind the grassy hills to find a place to be alone.

* * *

><p>"I knew it," Kanou stepped away from the bushes he had concealed himself in and watched the silhouette of Akito slowly merge with the shadows of the night. "Lady Kumiko is wise… but he is causing us more trouble than I thought."<p>

Leaping into a tree, he stabbed his double bladed saw into the bark and pulled the hood over his head. "This Kingdom is at peace… but with Akito here, he is disrupting everything. Protect the Fire all for the sake of one boy?" He frowned and thought of his Lord. _Akito… you and I are not that different as it seems. I was also found in this Kingdom as well… I know nothing of my family or my background either but unlike you, this Kingdom has been kind to me… the people have raised me to become the warrior that I am today and Lady Kumiko has been the most generous Lord. _He clenched his fists and brought them to his sides. _I am forever in debt to the Lightening and in order to repay that debt, I will not allow that boy to bring harm to us. I will obey Kumiko's wishes to protect Lord Daichi, but family conflicts like these don't go away like war does. If I have to eliminate Akito, I will. I don't care if I'm thrown into jail, or even executed. I will repay that debt and bring peace once and for all. _

* * *

><p><strong>(an): heavy chapter... surprise! tell me what you think in a review! thanks everyone! **


	6. Mystery

"Are we there yet?" Rai nibbled on a piece of dried meat and dragged her feet along, being sure to stay a safe distance behind Akito. She swallowed the last of her snack and frowned, watching the boy's long, black ponytail move gently against his back as he walked. _What's his deal anyways? I know he's a loner… but he's been even quieter than usual. _Looking to her right, she noticed Kanou's equally as stern face as she stomped her foot down in anger. "What is wrong with you two? This has been the most boring mission I've ever been on!"

Kanou stopped walking and peered at her from the inside of his dark hood. "What are you on about now?"

Akito also stood motionless, but never bothered to turn around. "I'm sorry if I'm boring you," he said softly.

She pouted and crossed her arms. "It's not like I expected anything interesting from you anyways." To her surprise, Akito finally faced her with painfully solemn eyes that tore even her unmoving heart in shreds. "I…" she fumbled with the words in her mouth and stepped back. _What is this coldness I'm feeling from him? _

"Enough," Kanou stepped forward and pointed towards the sky. "We've wasted enough time. Lord Daichi of the Fire Kingdom is patiently awaiting our arrival. We cannot keep him waiting any longer."

Akito suddenly drove the end of his staff into the ground, his knuckles shaking and turning pale. "The Kingdom of Fire…" he breathed, staring at his feet.

Kanou narrowed his large, deep eyes at him and gripped the handle to his double saw even harder. _What is going on in that head of yours, Akito? He's emotionally vulnerable… but I can't execute anything with Rai here. _"Let's go," he commanded, pushing past Akito and disappearing into the shadows of the forest.

* * *

><p><span>*FLASHACK*<span>

An extremely pale, wide eyed boy wearing an oversized cloak walked alongside a burly man wearing a General's coat and his hands held neatly behind his large back. "Kanou, are you listening to me?" the man grunted, looking down at the curious child. "Just what are you looking at?" the man glanced to the left to see a small boy with messy, long black hair, crouched above a small fire in the middle of the meadow. "Ah," he simply said.

"That boy is always alone," Kanou said softly, looking up at the serious man.

"Akito is his name I believe," the general said. "I don't understand why Lord Kumiko insists on keeping him here. He is obviously a member of the Fire Kingdom."

Kanou nodded and removed his hood to get a better look at the strange sight. "Maybe Lady Kumiko is his only friend."

"Even so, it is unbearable to see him living like that, without any family or friends…" the man noticed Kanou's pained expression and gulped. "Don't place yourself anywhere near Akito in rank, Kanou. You also may have been found here, and your origins are not clear… but it is clear that you are an obvious member of this Kingdom. Your loyalty to Lord Kumiko is what helps you to establish a place amongst us."

"And what about him?" Kanou pointed to Akito's shivering body.

"With powers so unpredictable and a past that seems more than scandalous, that boy is nothing but trouble." The General shook his head and closed his eyes, sighing with disappointment. "Mark my words, Kanou. Everyone deserves to live in peace… but when one possesses the potential to become a threat or disturb order, than he becomes nothing more than a nuisance."

Akito suddenly lifted his head from his shivering knees and turned to smile and wave at the two. But as the General ignored him and continued on his away, the smile on the small boy's face started to fade.

"Nothing but trouble…" Kanou repeated slowly, turning away from Akito.

* * *

><p><em>They're here! <em>Kaina cleared her throat and made sure that her hair was pinned perfectly back. Stepping proudly before the three warriors from the Lightening Kingdom, she stuck out her hand and greeted the man with the blue hair first. "Welcome to the Fire Kingdom," she said in her low voice. "My Lord has been eagerly waiting for you."

Kanou nodded and glanced back to see Akito's expressionless face. "Thank you," he looked at Kaina and then at the large iron gates that she was guarding. "Your Lord sent a single man to protect the gates to the Kingdom?" he raised a dark brow up sceptically and studied her slender arms. _His muscles are like that of a woman. Lord Kumiko wasn't kidding when she said it would be low security. _

"Do not underestimate me," Kaina said with a smile. "My Lord has picked me personally to greet you, just in case you turned out to be spies." She tapped one metal finger-claw against her cheek and turned towards the city. "Please do not be alarmed at the state of our Kingdom. Times have been hard and war has brought the villagers into anguish."

Rai covered her nose and frowned, fanning the stench of poverty away from her face. "What an awful place to live… I almost feel bad for anyone who comes from this dump."

Akito bit his lower lip and refused to look up from his feet. He swallowed the hard lump in his throat and kept his clenched fists tightly to his side.

"I'll be taking you to the castle," Kaina said. "I have been chosen as a lead mercenary for the upcoming war, which I know you're all aware of. Please feel free to call me Honoyubi."

It was only a short matter of time before they arrived at Lord Daichi's castle which Akito bitterly observed to be in much better condition than the rest of the kingdom. The door to his chambers were painted with gold and embedded with large red rubies as they watched the guard who called himself Honoyubi knock on the plated wood.

"My Lord?" Kaina noticed the door open slightly and she peered inside, scanning the room to find that Daichi had disappeared. Instead, her new companions Tora and Ryuusei stood over his bed, looking mortified at the pool of blood that covered the Lord's sheets. "What happened here?" Kaina ran towards them and covered her mouth with a trembling hand.

"It looks like someone got in here and took a stab at Lord Daichi," Tora couldn't help but to smirk at the thought of the despicable man being killed.

Ryuusei held his trident tightly in his hands and opened all closet doors, making sure the infiltrator wasn't hiding. "I don't understand," he muttered under his breath. "Who could have done this?"

"Earth Warriors, perhaps?" Tora suggested, twirling her large battle axe against her shoulder nonchalantly. "It could have been anyone, considering our lack of security."

"Impossible!" Kaina growled at her. "I was on guard all day waiting for them!" she pointed to the stunned Lightening warriors. "Someone has taken our Lord… it must have been the Shadow! Ryuusei, survey the entire area… we must find out Lord!"

The man sighed, scratching the back of his head. "This isn't what I signed up for…"

"We can't let the people know about this," Kaina bit her lip anxiously and walked towards the Lightening warriors. "I'm terribly sorry about this," she bowed her head slightly and quickly pushed back a loose hair.

"It is our duty to assist," Kanou pulled out his weapon and turned to Akito and Rai. "You heard him, their Lord is missing. Rai, you search along the south… you're much faster than us and you can cover the most ground. Akito and I will search the north. Is that clear?"

"Who appointed you as our leader?" Rai rolled her eyes and pulled out her magic sphere, creating a colourful mist that surrounded her legs and feet. Soon, she was floating in the air as she shot out of the nearest window and into the sky.

* * *

><p>"We haven't checked here yet, Akito," Kanou pointed to a deep alley and waited for the dark haired boy to follow his orders. <em>This should do just fine, <em>Kanou slowly pulled out his double blades and walked slowly up behind his comrade. He pressed the sharp ends against the boy's back and pushed him against the wet, stone wall. "I'm sorry," he whispered in Akito's ear. "But the village was right all along. Your past _is _scandalous. You may be strong and loyal, but your roots are evil. I won't allow you to bring harm to Lord Kumiko or our Kingdom."

Bright bolts of electricity shot out from his blades, impaling Akito's body. _Wait, _Kanou quickly pulled his weapon out and examined it. _Where's the blood? _But before he could move, he felt the end of a staff against the back of his neck and he knew that he had been deceived.

"How?" Kanou gritted his teeth angrily.

"Having fire powers comes with benefits sometimes," Akito's strong voice came from behind him. "Heat mirage."

Kanou closed his eyes and smirked. "I should have known… you're very observant and sharp, Akito."

"I don't think sweet talking me is enough at this point," Akito bore his deep golden eyes into the back of Kanou's head of messy blue hair. "Care to explain?"

"You heard me," Kanou retorted. "The mission from Lady Kumiko may have been to come to this Kingdom and protect its Lord… but I have my own mission to fulfill – and that is to repay the Lightening with your death."

"What have I done to the Lightening?" Akito calmly asked.

"It's not what you've done… rather what you are capable of doing."

"Don't be absurd."

There was a moment of stillness before Kanou spoke out again. "You have me where you want me, Akito. So why don't you do it? Kill me."

Akito dug the staff harder against Kanou's pale flesh but refrained from hurting the young man. "You're a teammate. This is merely a mechanism of self defence. I don't want to kill you, Kanou. No matter how lost and confused I may be… I would never take my anger out on you."

Kanou grinned. "Has solitude weakened your heart?" he lifted his arm higher, holding the staff against both blades of his saw weapon. "I am a man of my word, Akito. I am too wise to let you live. Your death will end this ridiculous family feud that exists in this rotten Kingdom of Fire."

"I'm surprised at you," Akito flipped backwards and held his staff out defensively before him. "For someone who has also suffered solitude, I would have expected you to be more understanding of me."

"I may have grown up without parents, but I know what is right from wrong and what my duty is to the Lord of Lightening. You are just an abandoned fool, without purpose in life! Isn't that why you wander the streets of the Lightening Kingdom day after day… looking like a thrown out mutt?"

"Don't assume that about me—" Akito began. But before he could finish, the alley burst into flames, hindering his sight. "What's going on now?" He looked vigorously about for Kanou until finally, he lifted his staff and sliced the air, causing the flames to die down instantly. But to his surprise, where Kanou should have been standing was nothing more than a pool of blood and ashes.

* * *

><p>"He's nowhere to be found, I'm afraid," Captain Eiji shrugged his shoulders and sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I've searched the seas as well."<p>

"There isn't enough evidence that could possibly serve as a lead," Satoshi scratched his chin and frowned, shaking his head. "It just doesn't make any sense. One minute he was there, and the next, gone."

The Fire advisors wiped their sweaty brows and nodded at the concerned Wind warriors. "We have called this council because this is an emergency. You, the Wind, Lightening and our own Fire are to decide on what to do."

"Where… is the third member of your party?" Rima blinked at the two Lightening mercenaries and gently fanned herself.

Rai glared suspiciously at Akito, studying his stern and dirty face. "Where is he?" she quietly hissed.

"I… don't know," Akito answered. "We were searching for the Lord and I turned my back towards him for a minute… and he just disappeared."

"Fascinating," Ryuusei interlocked his fingers in front of his face, carefully observing the strange warriors from the Lightening. "We have two missing persons and an upcoming war in a matter of days."

"Who cares about the Lord?" Tora exclaimed, crossing her arms. "As if he did anything anyways!"

"This is unacceptable! We must find Lord Daichi and our friend from the Lightening, no matter what!" Kaina stood and shook her fist in the air, almost forgetting to lower her voice in the heat of her passion. "How are we supposed to function without a Lord?"

The advisors whispered amongst themselves until they finally reached a consensus. "We will keep this strange occurrence to ourselves for now. There is no need to worry the Lords of the Wind, Water and Ice, or the Lightening. The Earth must also not know of this… they might take this vulnerable opportunity to strike us. For now, we keep searching. And if Daichi is not found within the next week, we will have to appoint a new Leader. The war depends on it."

"But does Lord Daichi even have any heirs?" Eiji asked. "By the looks of it, he seemed pretty… alone…"

"It is true," one advisor said. "His younger brother died long ago… or so we thought."

Akito shot his head up with surprise and gulped.

"Lately, there have been omens that tell us that the young prince is alive and well. But they are not confirmed yet. It doesn't matter for now. All we need to focus on is finding Daichi, as well as Kanou of the Lightening Kingdom. The Wind warriors will continue patrolling the Kingdom to make sure there are no signs of the Shadow just yet. Fire and Lightening will be the new search squad. Understood?"

_Something isn't right… _Akito watched everyone else stand and take their positions. _Lord Kumiko said Daichi was after me… is someone trying to protect me? No… someone is trying to reveal my true identity. Killing Daichi would make me the new Lord of this Kingdom… and the only person who would want that desperately at a time like this would be… _His breath caught in his throat as he realized a possible suspect.

* * *

><p><strong>(an): I know what you're thinking… when am I going to reveal the Water and Shadow characters? Patience, my friends. I just thought that you needed to become more familiar with the characters already introduced. Heck, I get confused sometimes too! **


	7. Water and Ice

"So _this_ is the Kingdom of Water and Ice? Pretty unimpressive for such a powerful nation." a powder-white skinned lady stood at the peak of a waterfall while dawing a long pipe to her bright red lips. She raisied a perfectly sculpted brow up with disgust at the Kingdom before her and blew out a ring of smoke. Her hair was deep red-maroon and long, tied up into a loose bun held by long needles and a black blow. The center of the bun allowed for a long ponytail to reach her back where her Geisha's kimono opened to reveal the stitches of an old wound.

Surrounding her was a herd of large, growling black bears with piercing red eyes. She looked back and counted them, frowning at the small number. Scanning the landscape with her dark eyes, she caught sight of a wolf preying on the remains of what appeared to be a rabbit. The alluring Geisha reached into the circular area of the pipe and pulled out a single needle, holding it in front of her face with two elegant fingers. And, with impressive accuracy, she flicked her wrist and struck the brown wolf's shadow. Before the innocent creature could howl with pain, it became utterly paralyzed. Then, using another graceful swing of her hand, she summoned the shadow to create a clone of the wolf which, like the bears that surrounded her, had a thick, black coat and piercing red eyes. It obediently ran to her, bowing its head at her pale feet while the original wolf remained unmoving.

"Well?" she looked down at the shadow beasts and gently tapped her feet. "What are you waiting for?"

The animals roared and howled, jumping down from the waterfall like demons and tearing through the peaceful Water Kingdom.

* * *

><p>"I've administered the antidote," a tall girl with a short, blonde braid said, closing a large leather bound book in her hands. She blinked her blue eyes and wiped the dampness from her forehead that had an upside down, blue dotted triangle mark on it. She wore a dirty and bloodied outfit of a tight, blue sleeveless shirt and brown mini shorts and interlaced sandals with an open blue skirt wrapped around her shorts. Still in her battle gear, she started to slowly remove pieces of her blue-green armour.<p>

"Thank you, Miss. Noriko. It's a good thing you were near Lord Rikuto when he was struck… who knows what could have happened if you had not—" an advisor began.

"I'm sorry if I seem like a pessimist," Noriko interrupted with hard eyes. "But the poison spread incredibly fast throughout his entire body. Much of his nervous system is damaged and although the antidote has been given, there is no way Lord Rumiko will be able to stay alive."

The advisor gulped and stared down at the sweaty, handsome face of their Lord. "Yes but he is strong-"

"It's impossible," Noriko wiped the Lord's young face and pushed his silver locks from his face. "He's going to die."

"I'm not dead yet," a faint voice came from Rikuto his determined eyes fluttered open.

"My Lord!" the advisor cried with relief, falling on his knees with hope.

"You shouldn't be wasting your energy, sir," Noriko drained the cloth into the small wooden bowl and placed the damp cloth on his forehead. "I'm surprised you're able to speak, my Lord."

"I'll be fine," he grunted with pain as he tried to prop himself up with his elbows. He grabbed his chest and moaned, trying to fight back the sting that pulsated throughout his entire body. "I've never been subject to such a poison before…"

"Miss Noriko is right, my Lord! You need to rest! Your recovery is necessary for the upcoming war!"

"I told you already," Noriko stared at her Lord's sharp face and frowned. "He's not going to be able to fight." She suddenly stood, making sure her two katanas were strapped tightly to her back. They emeralds and sapphires glistened in the light as she turned to leave, placing her hand on the wooden frame of the door. "Please rest, my Lord. I will continue to guard the Kingdom."

With that, she slid it open and stepped out but stopped when she heard the smooth voice of Rikuto calling her name.

"Thank you, Noriko," he smiled, despite the pain.

She briefly nodded, sliding the door closed behind her and choking back tears. _That fool… if he continues to defy sleep, he will die! _

* * *

><p>A young woman with raven coloured hair sat by the river, wiping the tears that fell from her bright, opal eyes and onto her fair cheeks. She brought the bottle of liquor to her trembling lips and drank down her sorrows, trying to forget the image of Lord Rikuto being stabbed in the neck by the strange Geisha from the Shadow. She reached into her blue silk yukata and grabbed the silver cross that hung around her neck.<p>

*FLASHBACK*

"Hey look! It's Kuromi the vampire! What are you doing out here in the sunlight you weird blood sucker?" the village children laughed, throwing garlic and stones at the small, frail girl who sat with her face buried in her knees.

"Go away!" Kuromi cried, shielding her face with her long black hair.

"Don't talk back, freak!" a large boy yelled, running up to her with a stick in hand. "I'll teach you to mess with us!" He brought his hand up in the air to strike as Kuromi grabbed her knees even tighter, preparing herself for the pain she had grown slightly accustomed to.

But as she slowly lifted her head to see why the pain was delayed, she noticed a strange boy, a little older than she, hovering above her. He was a handsome boy with wild, silver hair and wearing nothing but rags that covered his dirty, tanned body. "Who… who are you…" she gulped, unable to move at the sight of his blood.

He smiled at her with proud blue eyes and reassuring dimples. "Don't worry, you'll be alright."

"Who is this brat?" the village boy frowned, continuing to beat the mysterious silver haired boy. "Get out of my way!"

To Kuromi's surprise, the stranger suddenly stood, snapping the stick with his bare hands and holding them out like two swords. "Leave this girl alone," he said. "She's done nothing to deserve this!"

"He's nothing but a homeless freak playing samurai!" a village kid laughed. "Let's get him!"

"No!" Kuromi cried.

The ground began to shake uncontrollably until cracks formed and water began to spew out like jet streams, hitting the children and sending them flying back into trees. Kuromi stood, bewildered and fascinated at the sight of this strange power. She noticed that the boy in front of her released the two sticks and turned to make sure she was okay. "If they ever bother you again, just let me know. I'll come and save you, alright?"

She blinked, slightly blushing and nodding, filling with sadness as he began to walk away. "Wait!" she exclaimed, running up to him and grabbing his torn sleeve. "What… what's your name?"

"Me?" the boy blinked, scratching the back of his neck. "I'm Rikuto. That's funny, I don't think anyone has ever asked me for my name before." He began laughing to himself. "You should really learn to fight, Kuromi. That's your name right? When you're alone like I am… fighting for your beliefs is the only thing you have." He looked down at his feet and then placed a hand on her shoulder, looking past it to see broken paintbrushes and pain scattered along the ground. "They ruined your art too? Well, there's another reason for you to get stronger! When I'm Lord of this Kingdom one day, you can fight with me as my best warrior!"

"Lord of this Kingdom?" she raised a dark brow at him sceptically and held in a giggle.

"You'll see," he smiled at her again and wiped the dirt on his face. "Have a nice evening, friend… and be safe!" He turned and waved goodbye, disappearing into the brilliant pinks and oranges of the sunset.

*END FLASHACK*

"And I couldn't even save him!" she cried out, bringing the bottle to her lips once more.

"Cut it out, Kuromi! You're making a fool of yourself!" a brash voice came from above, pushing the alcohol out of her hands and smashing it with the end of an iron staff.

Kuromi looked furiously up at the man and scowled. "What do you want, Jōzu? I'll tear you to pieces if you ever do that again!" she grabbed the hilt of her dark, opal sword, bringing it to the man's neck and blinding him with the sapphires that were carved into the blade.

"Don't be ridiculous," he said, brushing it off with his staff once more. He was an average heighted man with tanned skin and tall, crazy grey hair angled to one side and supported by bandages he wore as a headband. He wore simple, black pants and an open white kimono. "Don't act like you're the only one affected by Lord Rikuto's health. In case you'd forgotten, he saved me from a world of darkness too." He stared sadly at the darker iron pieces on his staff and held it tightly in his trembling hands.

"Good for you," she grumbled, placing her weapon back into its sheath and struggling to stand. "Anyways, I came to get you. Noriko wants to hold a war meeting now that Lord Rikuto cannot fight."

"For someone who idolizes him, you don't know Rikuto very well, do you?" Kuromi smirked, sending shivers down his spine. "Rikuto and I have been friends since we were children… I know that no matter what Noriko chooses to do, he'll be standing beside us, fighting."

Jōzu stared down at the rocks and slowly nodded. "I expected nothing less from our Lord."

Kuromi continued to watch the brown liquor merge with the clean water of the river. "What am I going to do… when Rikuto dies? Who is going to purify my soul…"

"Don't think about it just yet," Jōzu stabbed his staff into the ground and started heading towards the castle. "Our Lord would hate to see you so upset, you know."

"Fool," she grimaced.

* * *

><p>"The three of us have been chosen by Lord Rikuto to represent the Water and Ice in the war against the Shadow," Noriko began, biting her lip. "But it seems as though we have underestimated their power. It only took a single warrior to kill hundreds of us, as well as take down our own Lord." She scowled at Kuromi's alcoholic scent. "This is no time to be indulging in sake and rum, Kuromi."<p>

"I'll cut your throat," Kuromi said emotionlessly, never taking her eyes off of the ground.

"Ladies, not now!" Jōzu shook his head with disappointment. "Lord Rikuto is too ill to speak, leaving us as the ones to make the wise decisions. What do you propose we do, Noriko?"

"We're going to join forces with the Kingdom of Earth to take down the Fire."

"Wait, what?" Jōzu suddenly frowned. "Lord Rikuto would never make such a decision! He would fight for the pride of our Kingdom—"

"It is the only logical thing to do!" Noriko cut him off and opened the map in front of him. "Like wise Lord Tadashi of the Wind says, the best strategy is the safest."

"But Lord Tadashi himself joined forces with the Fire!" Jōzu argued.

"I hear a lot of things out there when I'm on duty, Jōzu," Noriko stubbornly said. "And although they are only rumours, I sense some to be true… and I'm never wrong. I heard that Lord Daichi of the Fire randomly disappeared a few nights ago… coincidently right before we were attacked by the Shadow. And I know for a fact that Lord Kurashin of the Shadow is targeting Daichi to join him. And besides, do you know what was left in our Kingdom last night during the attack? Ashes… a clear indication of Fire involvement."

Kuromi suddenly stood, straightening out her dark robes and grabbing her large sword. "Do what you'd like, Noriko. But I'm going to avenge Rikuto."

"Don't be an impulsive fool!" Noriko shouted. "If you decide to take on the Shadow by yourself, you're inevitably going to die. Your death would not only upset the Lord, but also hinder us with lack of military power!"

Kuromi froze at the doorway and shook with anger.

"There must be some sort of compromise…" Jōzu sighed.

"There is… one other logical approach…" Noriko brought a hand to her pretty chin and closed her eyes. "It's a little bit more work than the other, but it might make you and Kuromi less restless." She pulled out a needle wrapped in paper from her pocket and presented it to her comrades. "This is the needle we pulled from Lord Rikuto's neck. The Geisha's scent is still on it. We can use our tracking dogs to find this woman and kill her… lessening the Shadow's power, as well as bring honour to Lord Rikuto."

"Now that's better!" Jōzu laughed.

"But we can't do this alone," Noriko acknowledged. "She is a formidable opponent and going alone would be the equivalent to suicide."

"Are you afraid of death?" Kuromi asked darkly.

"A warrior is never afraid to die," Noriko retorted. "But a warrior must choose the most efficient course of action. That is why we should convince the Earth to work with us, just until we can kill the Geisha. The Earth may be after the Fire… but the enemy is still the Shadow. They have to agree… it's the only lead we have that will help us weaken the Shadow."

"What if Lady Chiharu doesn't support the plan?" Jōzu scratched his head. "She's a strange woman…"

"Lady Chiharu has no choice but to accept," Kuromi smiled with a hint of malice in her tone. "Rikuto saved her life once, and now she is forever in debt to us."

"Perfect," Noriko folded the map and handed it to Jōzu. "But whatever you do, Lord Rikuto cannot know about this. Not yet."

"You're planning on keeping this from your own Lord? That is almost… punishable," Kuromi laughed.

"Lord Rikuto will not rest if he knows what we are going to do. For his sake, we need to leave secretly."

* * *

><p><strong>(an): and finally, you get to know a little bit more about the Water and Ice Kingdom! I'm actually quite happy with how it turned out... :) I hope you are too! Let me know what you think! Reviews have been slow lately :(**


	8. A Lead and Change of Heart

"Where…" Kanou slowly opened his large onyx eyes and winced in pain as he tried to prop himself up with his burnt elbows. "Where is this place?" he coughed, his throat aching dry and his blue hair sooty with ashes. After a struggle to merely sit, he gripped his saw-like weapon and looked around. The ground was walls were made of stone, gently sprinkled with rose petals and silk blankets. A musky aroma filled the lavish cave and to his surprise, sitting on a golden chair in the center was a strange looking man, laughing.

"You're awake, I see," the man flicked his long black locks of hair aside and licked his bright red lips. "I was beginning to wonder if I had killed you." He cackled with laughter once again and breathed in the scent of perfume and roses.

"You're… you're Lord Daichi!" Kanou forced himself to stand and groaned in agony, finally noticing the burn scars across his body. "Tell me what's going on!" He pointed his glowing saw blades at the Lord's neck, ready to strike with lightening.

Daichi stopped grinning and stared into Kanou's confused and determined eyes with his own playful ones. "You've got to be joking," he rolled his eyes. "And this is what I get for saving your life?"

"You didn't save me…"

"Against Akito?" Daichi raised a slim eyebrow up and clapped his hands, igniting a ring of fire that entrapped Kanou once more.

Defeated, Kanou lowered his weapon and sank to his knees. "Just tell me, where are we? Why am I here?"

Another smirk crept across the young Lord's pale face. "We're in hiding."

"From what?" Kanou looked past the fiery flames at the sight of the eccentric fool. "The Earth Kingdom? This is unnecessary! Your disappearance has created so much havoc in your Kingdom! Everyone is out searching for you… and you tell me you're hiding? What about the pool of blood? What about us, the Lightening? Lady Kumiko has sent us here to protect you!"

Daichi looked down at his nails and wiped them against his white silk kimono shirt. "You have no idea, do you…"

Kanou gulped, the heat intensifying with every second. "You're a coward," he muttered, glaring at the silhouette of his kidnapper.

"I never needed your protection, fool. I faked my own death and disappearance in order to get away from the throne."

"But you love power," Kanou growled.

"Ah, indeed I do! But when power threatens my life, then I'm more than willing to hand it over to my dear brother."

_Akito? _Kanou wiped the sweat from his brow and continued to pant.

"My sweet darling brother, Akito," Daichi continued with a deep throated laugh. "It's only a matter of time before they find out he's alive and capable of taking my position as Lord. Well, for now at least – until this stupid war is over, I'll remain here in hiding."

"You coward!" Kanou yelled, leaping out of the flames and rolling against the hard ground. "How could you leave your Kingdom like that? All just to save your head? Let me out of here!"

"You know too much," Daichi shrugged. "I initially brought you with me because I couldn't let you kill Akito. Not now at least. Akito must live until this war is over… then I will take his life once and for all."

Kanou gritted his teeth together and stared at the ground. Although he had his own heart set on killing the boy, his anger and hatred towards Daichi seemed more important. In fact, he almost felt _sorry _for Akito. "I'll kill you first."

Daichi grabbed the large, double ended scythe from the back of his throne and brought it down against the ground. "You underestimate me, child. I may be a fool but I am the Lord for a reason. Don't forget that."

Kanou leapt back and noticed the split in the rock where the blades of his scythe had merely touched. "Why don't you just kill me then?" he stood up and crossed his arms. "I don't understand your motives for keeping me here."

"You're useful to me," Daichi said, eating a grape. "Once the war is over, and Akito is settled as the new Lord of the Kingdom of Fire… then you'll be the one to slaughter him."

"Make me," Kanou hissed.

"Oh?" Daichi stared at him, amused. "If I'm not mistaken, you tried to kill him already. What makes you change your mind now?"

It was a question Kanou couldn't quite answer. Instead, he thought of Akito's face and frowned.

"Besides," Daichi continued. "If you don't do as I say, then I'll destroy your Kingdom."

"What?" Kanou suddenly looked up at him with rage flickering in his eyes. "You wouldn't dare!"

"As far as everyone else knows, Lord Daichi is dead," Daichi said. "So why wouldn't I?"

* * *

><p>"Something isn't right," Eiji sniffed the wind and narrowed his brown eyes at the setting sun. "Don't you feel it?"<p>

Rima slightly nodded and turned to look at Satoshi who had his eyes closed and his hand tucked neatly under his chin in deep contemplation. "What are you thinking?" she asked.

"We've been searching all day," Satoshi said, sticking his hands in his trench coat pockets. "Every corner of this Kingdom has been searched… and yet, no sign of Lord Daichi or that punk from the Lightening."

"The winds are ominous," Eiji continued. As an experienced Wind warrior, he had a sense for changes in human behaviour. To him, the breeze smelled of blood and deceit. "I know Lord Tadashi has asked us to cooperate with the Fire… but I can't seem to find it in my heart to do it. There's something about Daichi…"

The two men suddenly stopped to notice Rima searching inside her small leather pouch until she pulled out a small glass veil filled with bright red liquid. "Here it is," she blinked her curious eyes at the blood sample and handed it to Satoshi. "This is what you wanted, right?"

He smiled and took the capsule in his hands. "Perfect," he nodded.

Captain Eiji looked at him with disgust and stepped back. "What on earth—"

"Relax," Satoshi smirked, bringing the cap over his eyes mysteriously. "I asked Rima to gather some blood that was found on Lord Daichi's bed."

"Why?" Eiji scratched his cheek with confusion.

"Coincidently, a guard was killed on the night of Lord Daichi's capture," Rima explained. "Of course, no one paid much attention… the disappearance of the Lord was far too important. The body of this guard was found behind a bar this afternoon and it was dismissed as casual murder. Apparently that kind of thing is normal in this Kingdom…" She sighed and shook her head with disappointment, continuing with her soft voice. "Satoshi happened to be there when the body was discovered and he managed to take a small sample of the guard's DNA."

"I think I understand," a small smile came upon Eiji's lips as he patted Satoshi on the back excessively.

Satoshi coughed in pain as he shrugged the large hand off. "I've spent my entire life researching Kingdoms and spying on Lords. Lord Daichi has fascinating abilities, you know." He stopped to make sure no one was in the vicinity. "Daichi's specialty is the art of teleportation. He creates a special type of fire that allows him to retreat anywhere he wants, so long as the destination contains his mark of rose petals. When I came to the Fire years ago undercover as a construction worker to spy on a rebel group, I heard a lot about an underground cave that Lord Daichi insisted on having."

"An underground hideout? For what purpose?" Eiji frowned.

"No one knew, really," Satoshi shrugged. "But I know for a fact that it was built, right underneath the castle. I don't know if Daichi intended on it to be a dungeon, but I witnessed roses being sent down there."

Rima's eyes widened with disbelief. "You mean to say… he might be down there as we speak?"

"It's possible," Satoshi nodded. "For whatever reason, Daichi might have wanted to escape and so he faked his own death and retreated there instead." He pulled out the glass veil once more and gently shook it in front of his calculating face. "If this DNA matches that of the guard, then there's no doubt about it."

"I guess having your face in books all day actually helped!" Eiji laughed heartily. "What now, Satoshi?"

"Let me analyze the data," he tucked the sample back into his pocket and patted it to be safe. "Don't let anyone else know about this… not yet. There's no need to cause more chaos in this dangerous Kingdom."

"Right," Rima nodded. "Captain Eiji and I will do our best to act as if nothing has changed."

"Good, then we'll meet later tonight with the results." Satoshi turned and walked away, merging furtively with the people on the street.

But as Rima and Eiji parted their own ways, a cloaked figure stepped out from the corner of the alley with curious eyes and a trident held in his hands. Lifting the hood from his long brown hair, he swept the weapon across his back and crossed his arms with a satisfied grin. "Those Wind warriors are quite something," Ryuusei muttered to himself. "A secret hideout under the Fire castle?" he paused for a moment and turned in the direction of the looming edifice in the distance. "I really must find out for myself."

* * *

><p>"Come on sweetie!" a large man grabbed Rai's wrist and pulled her towards the dark alley. "Just one drink!"<p>

"Let go of me you slimy—" she reached out with her other hand, holding her glowing sphere until another man attacked her from behind, slapping the orb out of her palm and kicking it aside. "No!" she gasped, falling to her knees and trying to stop it from rolling.

"You're not from here, are you?" the scrawny man said, whistling until a group of drunken men gathered around her crouched body.

"My, what a fine body!" they laughed, spitting on the ground and grabbing her limbs.

"Let go of me!" she screamed, holding her blonde hair down. She pulled out the small dagger from her shorts and struck a man, sending him toppling to the ground, bloody.

"She wants to play rough!" another man ran towards her with a samurai sword. As he lifted his arms to strike, his sword was cut in half by an unseen force.

Rai gulped and watched as a familiar figure leapt down from the rooftop and stood protectively in front of her. "Aki… Akito?" she looked up at him with surprise as he held his staff out with one hand and a stern expression across his pale, handsome face.

"She said to leave her alone," Akito said smoothly, standing straight now. "And now I'm saying it too. Touch her and it'll be the last thing you lay your dirty hands on ever again."

The men laughed, spitting again. "Who is this punk? Her boyfriend? Look, kid, who do you think we are? We're—" but before the large one could finish his sentence, he was struck across the face by the black metal of Akito's weapon.

"Get him!" the men cried, charging at him with all their swords.

Akito bent his knees and sliced the air with his staff, creating a wave of lightening that shredded the cold night apart. Then, digging the end of his weapon into the ground, he lifted himself up and kicked another man in the face, sending him flying into the wall.

"Akito…" Rai breathed, her eyes trembling with awe.

"We have him surrounded!" they cried, trapping Akito in a circle. But the boy didn't even flinch, bringing the staff against the ground again and creating a perfect ring of fire that caught all bodies of the mob.

They screamed, letting their weapons fall and rolling against the dirt. "Mercy!" they cried, the smell of burning flesh filling the air.

With a swift motion of the staff, Akito blew out the fire and stood over who appeared to be the leader. "Leave," he said sternly, "and the next time we meet under these similar circumstances, I won't be so kind."

"Yes, sir!" they cried, crawling and scuffling away.

Akito sighed and walked over to the glass ball that the first man had taken from Rai. "You're not hurt, are you?" he asked tenderly, handing it back to her. "I'm sorry about that… I know you could have taken them. It's just, you're a comrade and—"

"Akito," she lowered her head and wiped the hot tears that fell from her deep purple eyes. "Why did you save me…"

"Huh?" he bent down and scratched the back of his head. "What are you talking about? You're a comrade, I couldn't just leave you!"

"Are you really that dumb?" she looked up at him with flashing anger. "I hate you, Akito, and you know it! I'm mean… and I treat you like you don't even exist! So why would you do something like that for me…" She watched him stand and rest the staff against his shoulder.

"Well," he smiled. "No matter what happens, your existence is still important to me." With that, he started walking away. "No one deserves to suffer."

She held the glowing orb to her chest and sniffed, watching him slowly disappear. _Fool, _she stared down at her reflection in the glass and frowned to find her face flushed with pink. _If it was me or Kanou… would we have saved him? _

* * *

><p><strong>(an): I'm trying to update as much as I can this week because next week is going to be a living nightmare (two exams a day, 5 days a week) GAH. I hope these next few reviews cheer me up or something. HAHA. thanks everyone :D**


	9. Infiltration, Chiharu's Decision

"Just as I thought," Satoshi shook the small bubbling vein in his hands and narrowed his light brown eyes at the thick red liquid. Placing the other identical glass tube down on the table, he removed his gloves and quietly reached for a map of the Fire Kingdom from the desk he sat at. Because he had technically infiltrated the lab, he was sure to make as little noise as possible as he handled the thin paper with the utmost care.

The end of his ears slightly twitched upon hearing feint footsteps at the end of the hallway but continued with his research. "Here," he whispered to himself, pointing to the castle drawn on the map. "I need a closer look at it…" Quickly turning to the impressive collection of books behind him, he pulled out a dark green leather bound book and began leafing through the pages.

From the corner of his eye, he saw the dim glow of a lantern coming from behind the paper door. Folding the map and wedging it in the spine of the book, he immediately snapped it shut and placed it inside his trench coat. And, faster than the wind itself, he grabbed the blood veils and exited the room through the window.

A man wearing a red uniform slowly slid the door open to find a single candle burning on the wooden desk. "That's strange…" he frowned, stepping inside the room. But as his foot fell forward, he felt a gentle tug at his ankle and noticed a string pulling in towards him. And before he knew it, two small blue balls from an open panel in the ceiling, landing before his feet and emitting a dark smoke that surrounded him. "What's this!" he tried to hold his breath, but found that his senses were growing numb. Soon, he was on the floor, unconscious.

Satoshi reappeared at the window and jumped inside, retrieving the remains of the smoke bombs and fixing the panel on the roof. "It's as if it never even happened," he smiled to himself and turned towards the open window once more.

* * *

><p>Ryuusei appeared furtively behind a castle wall and peered inside the main entrance. With his trident strapped to his back, he counted the number of guards and inquisitively placed a hand under his chin in deep thought. "What are the chances of me winning against 9 other men?" a small smirk spread across his lips as the breeze pushed his long brown hair back. "I'd say they're at a hundred percent—"<p>

"What are you doing? Keep your guard up!" a familiar lowered voice appeared behind the guards as they suddenly stood erect and in line. "Lord Daichi is missing… who knows what might happen to his palace? We need to serve our Lord by protecting his home until he is found. Understood?" Kaina patted the back of her head and cautiously re-pinned her hair back, clearing her throat and trying to look as tall as possible.

Ryuusei bit his lower lip and retreated back into the shadows again. "I didn't think he would be on guard… this ruins everything."

"Ruins what?" a soft, curious voice came from behind him.

Holding the handle of his trident defensively, Ryuusei swiftly turned around to see Akito, the boy from the Lightening Kingdom, standing behind him. Ryuusei sighed with relief, and released his weapon, crossing his arms. "It's none of your business, I'm afraid."

Akito's facial expression never changed and yet, he continued to pressure Ryuusei with his eyes. He looked at the man with collected scepticism and then focused his gaze on Kaina and her guards. "Aren't you a member of the Fire? Why are you sneaking around?"

A look of frustration shot across Ryuusei's face as he raised a brow at the younger man. "The question is, why are "The question is, why are _you _sneaking around? This is no place for you—"

Akito ignored him and looked up at the night sky, thinking of his next move. "I don't know what you're doing, but something is telling me to follow you."

"Leave me alone, kid!" Ryuusei frowned. "You may be strong but you're going to be nothing compared to what Honoyubi can do. He's a unique fighter… your lightening is weak against his fire."

"I don't care," Akito continued. "I'm going with you whether you like it or not."

Angered at his persistence, Ryuusei pulled out his trident and slammed the blades down into the ground. In a matter of seconds, a barrier of fire formed between himself and the curious boy. "I'm sorry, but I won't allow you to get hurt. Now pretend that this never happened and leave. Go home." However, to Ryuusei's surprise, he saw the silhouette of the young warrior approaching the flames and walking through it with ease. "How—" his hazel eyes widened with amazement as Akito approached him, even closer this time.

"Lead the way," Akito said, completely unmoved by the roaring flames behind him.

_Only members of our Kingdom are immune to the heat of flames… _Ryuusei stood behind Akito and examined his black staff of a weapon. _Just who is he? _

* * *

><p>"Lady Chiharu!" a female messenger knocked on the rich oak door to the Lord's mystifying garden and sighed. Turning to the three Water and Ice warriors, she gave an apologetic smile and shook her head. "Our Lord is always in her garden. It's a rather… inconvenient hobby at times."<p>

Noriko gently smiled and nodded. "We appreciate your assistance."

But before she could finish her reassuring statement, the doors opened widely to reveal a slightly frustrated looking elf-lady standing before them in a pool of light. "What is it?" Chiharu frowned. "Your knocking has upset the flowers."

"My apologies, my Lady!" the messenger fell to her knees and gulped. "These warriors came from the Kingdom of Water and Ice. They need to speak with you urgently about a battle tactic."

Chiharu looked at their faces and became completely emotionless. "I am not interested in your proposition, my dears. I have already sent my mercenaries on an important mission."

Jōzu stepped forward and aggressively hit the ground with his staff. Bowing his head of crazy grey hair, he fell to one knee and placed one arm out forward, showing the utmost respect for the strange woman. "We came to speak to you about our Lord's health, my Lady. I understand that you and Lord Rikuto share a special bond."

Chiharu's deep, almond coloured eyes widened with disbelief as she quickly turned away from them, her long flowing robe following her gentle frame as she did so. "Come with me," she quietly said.

They followed her into her humid garden, being careful not to step on any of the small birds that hopped through the paths, or even tear the thinnest of leaf. After what seemed like decades of walking through the sparkling garden, they came to a spot where a simple wooden mat covered the ground. Chiharu sat gracefully down, tucking her hands into her oversized sleeves and waiting for her guests to join her. "Rikuto is on the verge of death, isn't he…"

The three glanced at one another with complete shock. "The news has spread this fast already?" Noriko gulped.

"Do not be alarmed," Chiharu slowly shook her head and pulled a blue rose from a near bush. "It was my foresight that told me so."

Kuromi looked up for the first time and examined the Lady's face with her bright opal eyes. _I had almost forgotten… Rikuto told me that Lord Chiharu had the ability to foresee certain aspects of the future… _

Chiharu looked at Kuromi as well and recognized her pale face. "You," she said with dull and sad eyes. "You're a close friend of Rikuto's. Tell me what happened."

"If you already saw it with your powers, you should already know," Kuromi said coldly. She had always felt an inherent bitterness towards Chiharu that was unexplainable. Maybe it was because Kuromi was extremely over-protective of Rikuto… then why did she see Lady Chiharu to be a threat?

The Lord of the Earth closed her large eyes and sat completely still. The short flicks of her eyeballs could be seen through her thin eyelids until her brows furrowed together with slight pain. "The Shadow attacked your Lord?"

Noriko silently scowled at Kuromi. "Be polite," she muttered under her breath. "Do you know who you're speaking to?"

"A friend of Rikuto's," Kuromi simply said, not even looking the blonde girl in the eye.

Jōzu ignored their bickering and slightly leaned in towards Chiharu with desperation in his fierce eyes. "Please, my Lady… we need your support in a quest to avenge our Lord, as well as mark our power against the Shadow. They're attacking on all fronts and so soon already. I hear your own Kingdom is recovering from an attack." He waited to be sure that she was listening and then continued. "We've decided to hunt the assassin who made our Lord ill but we need your help."

"No," she simply said in her quiet, bell-like voice. "I have told you already. My mercenaries are on a mission to destroy the Fire Kingdom before they get out of hand. Lord Daichi must be put in his rightful place and that is death."

"Please," Noriko contributed. "Destroying the Fire will only bring more hate into our samurai world. It is completely illogical to start another feud within the larger picture of war. Even Lord Tadashi of the Wind, a man who despises Lord Daichi's insolence, has taken the wise choice to ally with the Fire in order to keep their forces in check!"

"You don't understand!" Chiharu angrily interrupted her with slight moisture building at the base of her deep eyes. "I have seen the future…" There was a moment of silence before she gently wiped her eyes and sniffed the scent of the blue rose in her pale hand. "It was not an easy decision to start bloodshed. The world… is such an ugly place. The beauty of this Earth has been tainted with the blood of greedy men. Over the years I have learned that the only way to prevent violence is to destroy the source of evil."

"You've seen something," Kuromi lifted her eyebrow up curiously at her. "What is it?" Her formal tone was completely dissipated now, conquered by her sheer determination to protect Rikuto.

"My vision told me… that two years from now, the Shadow, along with the Fire, rules everything and everyone. Somehow, Kurashin manages to unify this country under his evil grasp… and with Daichi's help, people will suffer immensely."

"Is that why you chose to destroy the Fire?" Jōzu added. "I understand now…"

"I don't know if the future can be changed," Chiharu whispered solemnly. "I have never tried to before… until now. I want to see if the destruction of Daichi will prevent this awful vision from coming true. So far, I haven't had any sign that I'm doing the right thing."

"Help us defeat the Geisha assassin," Kuromi suddenly stood tall before her. "And we'll help you deal with Daichi."

"Kuromi!" Noriko scowled. "Who gave you the authority to decide such an important thing on your own?"

Chiharu stared into Kuromi's eyes and finally sighed with acknowledgement. "My mercenaries are already on their way towards the Fire. If you leave now, you can catch them at the port located in the Kingdom of Wind."

* * *

><p>"Shhhh," Ryuusei brought a finger to his lips and held out his hand to stop Akito from continuing on. "Look over there."<p>

The dark-haired boy did as he was told and was surprised to see the three warriors from the Wind in a similar stance. Captain Eiji, Satoshi, and Rima were standing behind the barrier of a castle wall, with Satoshi in the lead carrying a strange book in his hands. "What are they doing here?"

"Same reason as us," Ryuusei said, still bitter about having Akito follow him. "Just to explore the castle a bit further."

"Well why don't we join them? We can get the job done twice as fast if we do…"

Ryuusei shook his head and stepped back. "You see that nerd in the front? He's our ticket in."

"So we're just going to stand here and let them do all the work?" Akito crossed his arms in displeasure.

"Of course," Ryuusei said. "Look kid, those guys from the Wind, and you, aren't part of this Kingdom. If you get caught here, they'll assume it's normal. You're here officially on political business. Me on the other hand… I'd be tried and executed for treason."

"But—"

"This Kingdom is rotten to the core, Akito," Ryuusei addressed him for the first time. "I have years of keen observation and objective opinions… just trust me."

* * *

><p>"According to this detailed description manual of the castle, the dungeon was replaced years ago with an empty cellar, used for storage and the safe-keeping of citizens during Kingdom wide crises," Satoshi licked his thumb and presented an intricate map to his comrades. "Right there, you see?"<p>

"Why did they replace such a thing?" Rima asked quietly, slightly nervous. "If Lord Tadashi finds out we're doing this without his consent—"

"Awe, live a little, pretty lady!" Captain Eiji laughed. "Think of this as a treasure hunt! It'll be fun, I'm telling you!"

She stared at him with flushed cheeks and looked away. "Satoshi, there are guards everywhere. With the Lord's sudden disappearance, everyone is on top guard… including that guard from before! Honoyubi was his name I think? He's located near the north of the castle."

"It says that back when the dungeon was still there, people would enter through the stairs located in the east, or west of the castle. There were doors that lead to them, but I presume if the Lord is hiding, the stairs are going to be extremely difficult to find."

"So what do you suggest we do? Knock all the guards out and then proceed?" Eiji smirked.

"Of course not," Satoshi rolled his eyes and directed them towards a hole in the castle wall near the east. Crawling through, he motioned for Rima and Eiji to follow. "We'll be fine as long as Honoyubi doesn't find us here. It could risk our chances of having a successful alliance."

"Somehow, I think that a fishy Lord who fakes his death and sets the Kingdom into chaos without a care in the world already ruined our chances for a successful alliance…" Eiji struggled to squeeze his muscles through the hole.

"Okay, we need to find a possible opening," Satoshi started frantically looking around until he came to a section of the wall where the dungeon stairs used to be. "I don't understand… how could it just… disappear like that? They must have built over it years ago."

"What now, genius?" Eiji poked his elbow into Satoshi's side. He watched the intellectual crouch on his knees and dust his finger along the edge of the wall.

"Fascinating…" he brought the white specs he collected towards a burning candle and placed his hand over top the flame, watching as the white pieces melted against his finger. "Wax!"

"No way," Eiji walked up to the wall and pounded his fist into it. "It's as hard as stone. I don't think our powers are enough to break it without causing too much ruckus."

"Let me try," Rima pulled out her two large black fans. With a flick of her delicate wrists, they flapped open to reveal the silver butterfly designs. Holding them in front of her face and behind her head, she bent her knees and focused her energy on the wall.

"Careful, Rima," Satoshi warned her. "This isn't going to be regular wax, I can guarantee it."

"Hurricane Wings!" she leapt into the air and brought both fans behind her with outstretched arms. And as if she had butterfly wings herself, she released an enormous, sharp gust of wind that caused tiny shreds of wax to fly off, but otherwise didn't even create a dent. "How is that possible?" she snapped her fans shut and placed them back at her waist.

"Idiots," a rough female shook her dark hair out of her eyes as it brushed past the red diamond tattoo on her forehead. Carrying a large battle axe against her shoulder, she approached the wall and placed her hand against the cut surface. "Don't you know that the fastest way to destroy wax is by using heat?"

Satoshi frowned, "who gave you permission to join us anyways!" he looked behind him to make sure she didn't bring anyone else. "What do you think you're doing? You're going to cause a mess!"

"Shut it, book brain! There are some things you can only learn through experience. Life is too short to be worried about anything!" She angrily brought her battle axe against the wax wall, watching as the red-hot blade sliced through it like butter.

"Amazing," Rima breathed, watching the girl kick down the rest with the end of her axe. "She's almost as strong as Captain Eiji…"

"She's alright," Eiji scratched the back of his messy head and took a step forward before he tilted his head to the side to avoid a spear being thrown at his head. "What's this?" he turned around and saw Honoyubi, the loyal guard of the Fire Kingdom. "He found us!"

* * *

><p><strong>(an): thank you all for being so patient with me! I really appreciated the nice comments before about my exams. Unfortunately, I don't think I did too well... :( but alas, I wrote this chapter in hopes that it would lighten my mood. And I think it has! **

**Anyways, as always, review review review!**


	10. Underground Catastrophe

"I don't know what you're up to," Kaina narrowed her suspicious amber eyes at the Wind Warriors who were accompanied by her own comrade, Tora. "But step away from that door!" She brought her fire finger metal claws up and in front of her tanned face, preparing to take aim if she needed.

"Cut the loyalty act," Tora rolled her eyes at the guard and shrugged, swinging her enormous battle axe across her stiff shoulder. "Can't you see that these are actually the good guys here? Lord Daichi is nothing but a fraud who abandoned his castle, and his people! There's no need to protect a demon like him."

"Be careful of what you say… it could be taken as treason," Kaina said, being sure to lower her voice. "Once this is all over, I'm going to have to report you to the Lord and—"

"Give me a break!" Tora leapt into the air and viciously slammed her axe down at her teammate, frowning to see that the skilful guard had already leapt into the air and dodged the attack. "You fight like a girl!" she cackled with laughter and pried the blade of her weapon from the stone ground.

Kaina landed daintily on her feet and ensured that her clips were still held snugly against her head. Crossing her claws up and then singing her hands down, she created four rows of blazing fire that snaked towards Tora, surrounding her in a curtain of ember. "I never really liked you," she narrowed her eyes and deepened her voice even further.

"Likewise," Tora licked her lips and grabbed the very end of the handle to her weapon. With monstrous strength, she twirled around and blew out Kaina's fire.

"That guard… Honoyubi…" Captain Eiji narrowed his eyes and stroked his pointed chin, watching his every move. "There's something about him that I can't quite put my finger on."

"It doesn't matter," Rima said pushing against his hard back towards the open door. "We need to finish what we came here for!"

"She's right," Satoshi nodded his head and stepped back slowly. "Although we have Tora to thank for this, we can't afford to get caught in Honoyubi's fire. His clan is known for their destructive powers." With a quick nod, he pulled the leather bound book he stole earlier from his coat and guided his team towards the dusty, webbed chambers.

* * *

><p>"Hey, kid!" Ryuusei held out his hand in surprise as he saw Akito's swift body fly above him and onto the battleground in which Tora and Honoyubi were attacking one another. "What do you think you're doing?" he slapped his palm against his exasperated forehead and watched as the young boy with dark hair stood boldly in front of the guard with his staff pointed out at him.<p>

"You too?" Kaina took a step back and gulped. "All of you are traitors it seems!"

Akito could hear Tora's stomping footsteps approaching quickly from behind. Bending his strong knees, he twirled his staff with one hand and stopped Tora in her tracks by slamming the end of his weapon down against the handle of her own battle axe.

"Hey!" she screamed, wincing in pain as it dug into the flesh of her wrist. "Get out of my way!" she growled.

"This is senseless fighting!" Akito sternly said. "Look at this place… You're wasting your time when the truth is right over there." He pointed to the secret doorway and broken wax chunks lying around it.

_Who does he think he is? _Ryuusei carefully watched with crossed arms and slight annoyance. _No matter, _he grabbed his trident and slung it across his back. Without being seen by Honoyubi, he crept across the floor and disappeared into the darkness of the door.

Reasonably, Kaina lowered her metal fingers and swiftly turned towards the destroyed wax. "I'll deal with all of you later," she said quietly, walking slowly down the steps.

* * *

><p>"How did you know about this?" Satoshi raised an inquisitive brow at Ryuusei and frowned. "This was supposed to be confidential… something only between myself and my Wind comrades."<p>

"Well let's just say you aren't very good at hiding things then," the brown haired man shrugged and closely observed the strange inscriptions along the wall of the hidden chamber. "I won't cause you any harm," he added, smiling sweetly at Rima who returned his gesture with a soft blush. "I merely came here out of curiosity."

"You shouldn't be snooping around like that!" Satoshi growled, closing the book loudly in his hands.

"Oh Satoshi, don't be such a baby!" Captain Eiji grinned. "The more the merrier, that's what I always say!"

"If Lord Daichi truly is evil, Ryuusei deserves to know," Rima silently added. "He's a member of this Kingdom after all…"

"Fine!" Satoshi sighed and continued to lead everyone deeper into the underground maze.

"And once we find out that this is all a mistake, I'm taking you in for further investigation!" Honoyubi said from behind them.

"Not if I kill you first," Tora grumbled under her breath.

"Great, even more unwanted company." Satoshi rolled his eyes with disgust. "Any more I should know about?"

"Sorry," Akito's voice came from the very end of the line. "I was just curious as well."

But before the intellect could argue anything else, the ground and walls began to tremble violently, forcing each warrior onto his or her knees. "What's this?" Eiji looked up and covered his head from falling rubble. "Satoshi, is this a booby trap of some sort?"

"I don't know what this is!" Satoshi avoided a large mass of rock and gulped. "Daichi must have set these to kill whoever found out about his hiding place."

But as seconds passed and none of their powers could protect them, the quake began to grow more intense until each body was buried underneath a mountain of boulders.

* * *

><p>Kanou lifted his weary head at the sound of deep rumbling. Shooting a glare at the young Lord enjoying himself, he threw a pebble at him and gritted his teeth together in rage. "What was that?"<p>

Daichi shrugged, fanning himself with a bright red rose. "Does it matter?"

Kanou gripped the handle of his saw-like weapon at his waist, slowly pulling it from its holder. "I've had enough of you," he spat on the ground and stood with weak, shaking knees. "Let me go, or I'll kill you."

Daichi looked at him from the corner of his perfectly decorated eye and scoffed, throwing the rose down and sitting up before the pale, young warrior. "And you really think, that in your current condition, you'd be able to kill me? Do you understand what position you're in right now?"

Kanou bit his lower lip anxiously and ran towards the surprised Lord. As he brought his arm up and behind him to strike, he found that he wasn't able to summon his lightening powers.

Daichi nonchalantly grabbed the dagger from the strap at his thigh and drove it through Kanou's unsuspecting chest. With a small smirk of content, he pulled the bloody blade out from the boy's flesh and wiped the blood against his own tongue. "Just as I thought," he swallowed and stared into the frightened eyes of the Lightening Warrior. "Your blood is bitter."

"You—" Kanou coughed up blood and stared up at the blurry vision of the malicious Lord.

"You're tainting my silk with your dirty blood," Daichi hissed, pushing Kanou back by kicking his forehead. "If you're going to bleed to death, don't do it here."

Kanou could feel his chest heaving up and down as his body suffered through every millisecond of intense pain. Closing his large onyx eyes, he clenched his fists and slowly waited for his own death. _This wouldn't have happened… if it weren't for that Akito… _he silently smirked, wincing in pain as he did so. _I couldn't repay my debt to the Lightening. _

"Hm?" Daichi narrowed his eyes and covered his face at the sudden falling of debris from the roof. Anxiously, he stood from his throne and grabbed his large double ended scythe, wielding it protectively before him. _Someone managed to survive the traps I set? _

"Get up, Kanou," Akito said, coughing. "I didn't come all the way here for nothing."

The suffering boy's eyes shot open at the sound of his comrade's voice. "You…" he choked on his own breath. "What do you think you're doing here? Get out, he's going to kill you too."

"I didn't think my life mattered to you," Akito said coldly, stepping over him and preparing to face the man of his past.

Kanou's lips twitched with amusement at his own words. "It doesn't, fool." But as he turned to see what was happening, he saw that Akito was standing stiffly before the wide-eyed Lord. Were their knees… shaking?

"I always knew you were alive," Daichi suddenly broke the silence with his slimy words. "And now you're here… just where I want you."

* * *

><p><strong>(an): Just a short little update for you guys! As there are two separate stories in this, I'm going to start working on the other side. I feel that it would be nice to take a break from this so called Daichi ark and see what I can come up with for the Chiharu ark. **

**Anyways, thanks for being so patient with me! University apps have been stressing me out, blah blah. but until next time, review review review!**


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